MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falkland Islands governor 'disrespectful' towards Argentina; Islanders would be better off under Argentina

Ambassador Alicia Castro sent a barrage of accusations and claims regarding the Falklands/Malvinas

Argentine ambassador in London, Alicia Castro blasted Falklands Governor Colin Roberts claiming he has been disrespectful towards Argentina, insisted every country is aware that Argentina would never again invade the Falklands and underlined Islanders would be much better off under Argentine sovereignty since, “as all other provinces they could elect their own governor, and not have to live under an envoy from the Queen”.

Ms Castro added that the Islanders know very well that without Argentine collaboration or continental links they will not be able to develop hydrocarbons and an oil industry but if under Argentine sovereignty “they could exploit their oil resources like any other Argentine province and would enjoy a far better quality of life”.

The remarks were done by the Ambassador to Infobae, an Argentine news agency which did an original interview with Governor Roberts and that triggered the motive of controversy. “I was surprised at the cheek with which governor Roberts talked about Argentine harassment and bullying against the Malvinas”.

The governor is ”being disrespectful towards Argentina arguing that those actions (bullying) are disappointing and undignified for a democratic state and then tells our government should 'improve its behavior'. They treat us as if we were subjects from the empire“, said Ambassador Castro.

In his interview Governor Roberts had spoken of a series of ”actions“ and ”declarations“ by ”the Argentine government in the last few years that have been designed to damage the economy and suffocate the capacities of the Islands’ inhabitants“.

However Ms Castro said that the alleged ”Argentine hostility“ is ”a total fabrication from the British media programmed by British propaganda“

”They like to present us as harassers but the truth is that the British government invaded our Islands in 1833 and forcibly expelled Argentine authorities“.

Besides ”all the international community recognizes there is a sovereignty conflict“ and the UK refuses to dialogue despites the 41 UN resolutions urging both sides to sit and negotiate”, insisted Ms Castro.

And “in open violation of those resolutions in the Malvinas Islands they are now illegally exploiting our fisheries resources”, and immediately added, “who's doing the bullying, us of the invaders”.

As to the military presence in the Falklands, Ms Castro who was also ambassador in Venezuela, (2006/2011) argued that Argentina “no longer exists as a war threat for the UK or the inhabitants of the Malvinas Islands”.

“There's no need for any military presence in the Islands” because the UK “as the rest of the world is well aware that Argentina never again will go to war over the Malvinas Islands”.

Ms Castro also underlined that the Islanders “would not have a colonial governor named by the Queen” if under Argentine sovereignty since “like the rest of the Argentine provinces they could elect their own governor”.

Besides Islanders known, despite trying to hide the fact, “that the exploitation of hydrocarbons is not feasible or achievable without a link with the continent”.

“If Argentina had sovereignty over the Islands, they could exploit their oil resources like any other Argentine oil province. They would also have a better quality of life”, insisted the ambassador.

According to Infobae Ms Castro next month will be meeting with former Scottish Labor leader Tam Dalyell, author of the book “One Man's Falklands”, and one of the very few MPs that in 1982 voted against the war following the invasion and 74-day occupation of the Falklands by Argentine forces.