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Argentina's National Sovereignty Day: “We won't trade the islands for vaccines,” President says

Saturday, November 20th 2021 - 09:55 UTC
Full article 72 comments
”The lives of hundreds of Argentines were left on those islands,” Fernández argued. ”The lives of hundreds of Argentines were left on those islands,” Fernández argued.

Argentine President Alberto Fernández Friday insisted the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands belonged to his country, which would never trade them “neither for vaccines nor for debts.”

Fernández's speech came at a ceremony marking another anniversary of the Vuelta de Obligado battle on November 20, 1845, in the Paraná River where an Anglo-French fleet seeking to establish a direct trade link between Great Britain and France with the provinces of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Corrientes, despite a technical victory, sustained considerable damages after which they had no choice but to acknowledge Buenos Aires' authority. The event has been redefined in history as a symbol of national sovereignty - hence the national Sovereignty Day holiday (which will actually be celebrated Monday).

President Fernández said the Malvinas islands “were, are and will be Argentine, although some may regret it.”

“We are going to fight until they are Argentine again,” he went on. And “we are not going to trade them neither for vaccines nor for debts,” he added.

“Some minimize those lands and dare to say that we pay for vaccines by handing over the islands. It amazes me that they say it in public,“ Fernández pointed out in reference to a TV statement by PRO Chairwoman Patricia Bullrich, who suggested the territory could have been offered as collateral to the Pfizer laboratory for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.

Bullrich was later forced to recant and say she was only making a mockery of the excuses by the Government for not having bought the vaccines but that she ratified ”my position in favor of our complete sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands.”

Fernández also launched Friday the Interministerial Work Table “Malvinas 40 Years Agenda” at the San Martín Palace (Foreign Ministry).

“There is no doubt about the right that we have over those lands. Some minimize them, even dare to say that we pay for vaccines by delivering the islands. ... . How shocking, huh. Because the lives of hundreds of Argentines were left on those islands,” Fernández argued.

“It is not [about] a President who is determined, it is Argentina that wants to recover that piece of land that was stolen from us and that is ours, and for which many Argentines died,” he stressed.

Fernández insisted that ”because of our moral duty to vindicate those Argentines, we are not going to stop until the Malvinas are Argentine again.”

“May no one ever steal our love for Malvinas, may no one ever take away our rights to those lands. We have a duty to the memory of each one of those who went to the Malvinas. We are going to continue working, through diplomatic channels, trying to convince the world that the Falklands are Argentine,” he concluded.

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  • Falklands-Free

    The reason hundreds of Argentines died on the Falkland Islands was because a dictator in Argentina sent them there to attempt to steal a land that did not and never has belonged to them. So stop whinging about your losses, they could have been so easily avoided.
    Your country caused the loss of British servicemen and women and civilian lives dont ever forget that.

    If Argentina thinks they will not stop untill the can succesfully steal our land maybe Britain should treat your regime the same way they and north America treated another dictator who tried to steal Kuwait.
    Remember if there is a next time you attempt to steal our land, our protectors will take the fight to your doorstep.
    Do you so want to be overthrown in the same way Sadam was in Iraq.
    So keep whinging for as long as you like but never forget that this time we are much better protected then we were in 1982.

    Nov 20th, 2021 - 10:30 am +7
  • Swede

    “The lives of hundreds of Argentines were left on those islands,” Fernández argued.” But many more were killed during the “Dirty War”. In fact more Argentines have been killed by their own armed forces than by the Brits.

    Nov 20th, 2021 - 02:52 pm +5
  • Islander1

    Librato,
    Yes indeed those Administrative Heads you name are indeed contracted from overseas. BUT the Policy and What money is spent on what project is decided by our ELECTED Legislative members - same as in your Country. The Civil servants produce plans and advise to the elected Govt within their speciality section - and the Elected Govt may or may NOT take that advice!
    Guess you do not understand how democracy works? No - you wouldn't - as you believe today in the 21st century - in good old fashioned Colonialism - take somethig that is not yours and to hell with the people who live there.
    The old world got rid of its old fashioned Colonial beliefs many many years ago and has moved on.

    Nov 22nd, 2021 - 12:44 pm +4
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