MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Departing Spanish minister joins Argentine bandwagon claiming 'Malvinas dialogue'

The Pope holding the Malvinas dialogue poster. His secretary said the sign was put in his hands by Argentine visitors to the Vatican

Spanish Foreign Secretary Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo has delivered what could possibly be his last comment on Spain’s claim to Gibraltar’s sovereignty in his current role. The official has jumped on the bandwagon of a new Argentine platform seeking international support for the return of the Falkland Islands and urging UK to agree to bilateral talks over Gibraltar’s sovereignty.

 The movement was launched in Argentina to gather momentum for the country’s claim to the Falkland Islands, and had as its first notorious supporter none else than Argentine born Pope Francis.

The platform allegedly consists of an Argentine non government organization but it's plain clear that the initiative has the blessing of the Argentine government, particularly from the administration of former president Cristina Fernandez. It seeks support from international quarters, among them Pope Francis, the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, and footballer Javier Mascherano, all of whom were pictured holding a poster saying “Es tiempo de diálogo entre Argentina y el Reino Unido por Malvinas”, “It's time for dialogue on Malvinas between Argentina and the UK” .

The international campaign has brought the platform to Spain, where it has received a warm welcome from the Mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, the Deputy Leader of Podemos, Iñigo Errejon, and former Supreme Court Judge Baltazar Garzon. The three personalities have been photographed holding signs calling for bilateral dialogue over the Falklands.

Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón was until a week ago a staff member of the Argentine government in charge of helping to classify recovered documents and information from the dictatorship years in Argentina and neighboring countries in the seventies and eighties. The ill famed Plan Condor. Judge Garzón was paid the equivalent of 12.000 dollars per month for his job at the former Navy Mechanics School converted into two museums, Live Memory, referred to the excesses committed by the military, and Malvinas dedicated to Argentina's sovereignty claim.

The Spanish Government remains in flux following a hung parliament in last month’s general election. Ministerial portfolios have not yet been assigned, so Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo continues in his role as Foreign Minister. Earlier this year, he gave a strong indication he would be retiring from frontline politics after this general election, so this could be his last intervention on the Gibraltar issue.

He has taken this opportunity to send out what could be one last parting shot to Gibraltar. He has sympathized with the Argentine Malvinas sentiment, and proposed a joint campaign together with the Spanish Foreign Ministry in its endeavor to reclaim sovereignty over Gibraltar.