WTO summit in Buenos Aires: Argentina revokes WTO credentials of European activists

Monday, December 11th 2017 - 01:31 UTC

Full article 5 comments

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. Read full article

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Zaphod Beeblebrox
”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.

Yes, 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.
Dec 11th, 2017 - 06:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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DemonTree
Here is an article from a British group who were also banned by Macri:

http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/blog/2017/nov/30/first-i-was-interviewed-mps-then-i-was-banned-argentina-why-trade-democracy-matters

“I started yesterday presenting evidence to parliament’s international trade committee, and I finished it by having my accreditation to next week’s WTO summit withdrawn. Both events relate to the same issue: the lack of power we as citizens have over trade policy.”

Maybe they would have caused trouble for Macri if they were allowed to attend, but by arguing against his favoured policies, not with violence. These are not people going to Argentina to start riots, they were accredited to attend the meetings by the WTO itself. If his ideas are good, he should be able to defend them at the conference, not ban anyone who disagrees from attending.

It's clearly undemocratic, and raises the question of whether Argentina should be allowed to host summits in the future.
Dec 11th, 2017 - 11:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Enrique Massot
Since the story above, Macri backtracked on Petter Titland and allowed him to come back to Argentina. What an absolute shame for Argentina.

When 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.
Dec 12th, 2017 - 05:05 am - Link - Report abuse +1
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British_Kirchnerist
Finally a report on this bad news story for Macri - a week or two after I raised it. But we on the left are used to being ahead of our time ;)
Dec 12th, 2017 - 11:27 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Enrique Massot
@BK

I 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.
Dec 12th, 2017 - 08:58 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
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