MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
WTO summit in Buenos Aires: Argentina revokes WTO credentials of European activists
“They found my name on a list and started asking questions ... supposedly I was a false tourist,” Burch said on Radio 10. “It's not very democratic of Argentina” 
Petter Titland, spokesman for the Norwegian NGO Attac Norge, said authorities denied him entry without explaining why. 
WTO's spokesman, Keith Rockwell, reiterated that it disagreed with Argentina's decision to revoke activists' credentials. Argentina blocked two European activists from entering the country on the eve of the World Trade Organization's ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires, the two told a local radio program Saturday.
Sally Burch, a British activist and journalist for the Latin American Information Agency, said Argentina had already revoked credentials given to her by the WTO to attend the meeting but thought she would be able to enter the country as a tourist.
“They found my name on a list and started asking questions ... supposedly I was a false tourist,” Burch said on Radio 10. “It's not very democratic of Argentina's government.”
Petter Titland, spokesman for the Norwegian NGO Attac Norge, said authorities denied him entry without explaining why.
Late last month, Argentina rescinded the credentials of 60 activists who had been accredited by the WTO to attend the meeting because it determined they would be “more disruptive than constructive.”
WTO meetings often attract protests by anti-globalization groups, but they have remained largely peaceful since riots broke out at the 1999 meeting in Seattle.
WTO's spokesman, Keith Rockwell, reiterated on Saturday that it disagreed with Argentina's decision to revoke activists' credentials. “We didn't have the same perspective but we're now moving on,” Rockwell told journalists.
Argentina's President Mauricio Macri has promoted business-friendly policies since taking office in December 2015, and Argentina will host global events as chair of the G-20 group of major economies next year.
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Read all commentsSince the story above, Macri backtracked on Petter Titland and allowed him to come back to Argentina. What an absolute shame for Argentina.
Dec 12th, 2017 - 05:05 am +1When campaigning, Mauricio Macri promised a very different way of governing. Now he has totally lost direction--or, he is just doing what he thought he would--without saying it.
@BK
Dec 12th, 2017 - 08:58 pm +1I know. Macri's fiasco was legendary. So much so, indeed, DT could not comprehend the logic behind it. That's the problem of Argentina's wealthy--they are to the right of most of the world's rightists, old even by dinosaurs' criteria.
”Sally Burch, a British activist and journalist for the Latin American Information Agency, said Argentina had already revoked credentials given to her by the WTO to attend the meeting but thought she would be able to enter the country as a tourist. ... supposedly I was a false tourist,” Burch said.
Dec 11th, 2017 - 06:28 pm 0Yes, that would seem to be correct.
“It's not very democratic of Argentina's government.”
It is not very honest of Ms Burch to try to get in as a tourist so she can hardly complain.
These events do seem to stir up a lot of violent protests in Argentina so I can understand why Macri might want to take steps to prevent suspected troublemakers from entering the country.
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