MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Malvinas Families want Argentina to resume next of kin trips to Darwin cemetery
Malcorra told Maria Fernanda Araujo, that such talks should take place once the DNA remains identification process at the Darwin cemetery, has been completed. 
Trips to Falklands, coordinated by the Red Cross, took off in 1991 and were quite regular during ex president Carlos Menem's time 
Members of Malvinas Families also allegedly asked for a small chapel to be built at the cemetery to protect the hermitage with the Virgin and the Cross The Malvinas Families Commission have requested foreign minister Susana Malcorra for the Argentine state to resume the organization and financing of trips of relatives to the Darwin cemetery where the Argentine soldiers fallen during the 1982 conflict are buried, reports Clarin.
Allegedly the reply was “positive” but minister Malcorra told Maria Fernanda Araujo, president of the Commission, that such talks should take place once the DNA remains identification process at the Darwin cemetery, scheduled to begin this winter, has been completed.
The trips to the Falklands and coordinated by the International Red Cross with the Argentine and the local Islands governments, took off in 1991 and were quite regular during ex president Carlos Menem's time but when the Kirchners arrived to Government House in Buenos Aires, they became less frequent until completely stopped.
Members of the Malvinas Families also asked for a small chapel to be built at the cemetery to protect the hermitage with the Virgin and the Cross which overlooks the graves, which hopefully “the Pope might declare it a Prophetic meeting place”.
Next 19 June the Red Cross is expected to begin the process of identifying the remains of 123 “Argentine soldier also known to God”, out of the 237 tombs at Darwin cemetery. The operation is the result of an understanding between Argentine, the United Kingdom and the Falklands, coordinated by the Red Cross and will involve a team of forensic experts provided by both sides working in the field, while the DNA samples will be compared to those of consenting next of kin, and double checked in Cordoba and Spain.
Ambassador Maria Teresa Kralikas, head of the Malvinas and South Atlantic Desk of the Argentine foreign ministry also participated at the meeting of the Families with Malcorra.
According to Clarin the Families who have held several meeting with UK ambassador in Argentina Mark Kent, have also requested the British diplomat to help with the organization of the relatives' trips to the Falklands.
Top Comments
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Read all commentsNo need for the Int Red cross Charters since 1999 as they can visit for a week and many have since then via the normal scheduled Lan flight.
May 11th, 2017 - 07:43 am +4But agree- if they want to do a charter flight next summer once the ID works completed - currently they cannot as charter flights currently banned by the same Argentine Govt!
So yes - simple - lift the ban for all - or none. No need for accommodation- charter flights can arrive am and depart pm - as before. NO need for overnight as all families need to do is visit the cemetery. If they want longer - then option is the normal scheduled flight.
A little chapel there!- forget it in their dreams! It is a standard War cemetery - not a political symbol - even though all Arg Govts try to make it one.
Nobody here wants a flight from Brazil Roger - well nobody outside those under FCO control! We know it would just soon end up with an unacceptable stopover in Buenos Aires and the flight would never be commercial anyway.
Only commercial option is from Santiago - then Latam could operate the two flights a week in summer where the tourist demand is and just drop back to one a week in winter- which is often on;y 30-50% full in winter anyway.
The Argentine government will only support the Families Commission if it believes there is to be anything gained politically.
May 11th, 2017 - 03:40 am +2How about one flight a month, direct from BA - relatives only and only with pre-booked accommodation, in exchange for BA dropping its objections to charter flights and/or a weekly flight to Brazil?
May 11th, 2017 - 06:07 am +2Commenting for this story is now closed.
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