MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas: Argentina calls UK a lion that 'no longer frightens' and insists on dialogue

The release came from Foreign minister Hector Timerman ministry and Daniel Filmus (L) new Malvinas issue Secretariat

In a long statement recalling the 181st anniversary of the 'usurpation of our Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and the adjoining maritime spaces' (almost three million square kilometers) the Argentine Foreign ministry contrasts Buenos Aires peaceful, dialogue attitude with the verbal aggressiveness from British officials when referring to the Malvinas issue.

 The release accuses the UK of ignoring UN resolutions, International Law and growing world public opinion favorable to Argentina and sovereignty negotiations, which is the best evidence that in the Malvinas issue, “the lion still roars but no longer frightens”.

There is also a direct attack on Prime Minister David Cameron arguing that in one paragraph of his Xmas message to the Falklands, the head of government specifically talks about the military defense of the Islands, “forgetting the message of peace of such a celebration”.

Argentina claims that on 3 January 1833 British forces ousted an Argentine settlement and have since occupied the Falklands under a colonial regime with an implanted population, and with no legal or historic rights to justify such occupation affecting the country's territorial integrity.

There is a full paragraph dedicated to downgrade last March 'wrongly named' referendum in the Falklands when an overwhelming majority voted to remain a British Overseas Territory, arguing that the event was in violation of UN resolutions and insisting the principle of self determination does not apply to the Malvinas issue.

“The lack or arguments and broad support to Argentina's right to territorial integrity incites the UK to act and express with an undignified aggressiveness for a nuclear power that is also a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Such conduct debilitates the international community attempts for all countries to accept UN decisions to ensure the peaceful resolution of conflicts. UK lacks moral authority on this issue since it is the country that has most times ignored UN decisions, particularly those referred to ending with colonialism”.

It then quotes an editorial from The Times, in 1842, when the Argentine representative in London apparently made a new request to hold talks on the Malvinas issue: “We don't know what to admire most, if the insolence from the South American or the resignation from Her Majesty's minister who didn't kick him down the stairs”.

The release then lists all the events, supports, conferences, resolutions, historic pamphlets, solidarity groups and efforts displayed by Argentine diplomacy and by Argentine lawmakers in favor of the Malvinas issue during the last twelve months. Plus underlining all the measures dictated under Argentine law to try and prevent the Falklands from developing its own oil and gas industry.

This was completed with the creation of a Secretariat dedicated exclusively to the Malvinas issue, responsible for coordination of all efforts to peacefully recover the Islands, in accordance to the Argentine constitution through dialogue and bilateral negotiations between Argentina and the UK, and it could be added, to he headed by former Senator Daniel Filmus who lost his bench in the October mid-term election.

Finally to the verbal and military threats from the colonial power Argentina will continue demanding the compliance with International Law and UN resolutions, “thus showing that the UK refusal to sit at a negotiations table is the best evidence that regarding the Malvinas issue, the lion roars, but no longer frightens”.