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Montevideo, March 28th 2024 - 15:25 UTC

 

 

Falklands: Argentina interested in a third phase of the Plan to identify fallen combatants in Malvinas

Wednesday, March 2nd 2022 - 09:54 UTC
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The Argentine military cemetery at Darwin were the remains of 115 combatants were identified under the Humanitarian Project Plan under Red Cross guidance  The Argentine military cemetery at Darwin were the remains of 115 combatants were identified under the Humanitarian Project Plan under Red Cross guidance
Alberto Fernandez addressing congress next to Cristina Kirchner, who presides over General Assembly debates and Sergio Massa president of the Lower House Alberto Fernandez addressing congress next to Cristina Kirchner, who presides over General Assembly debates and Sergio Massa president of the Lower House

Argentina is interested in a third phase of the Humanitarian Project Plan which has successfully helped with the identification of Argentine combatants fallen in the Falklands/Malvinas during the 1982 South Atlantic conflict, triggered by the Argentine invasion of the Islands. Argentine president Alberto Fernandez made the announcement during his annual March first speech to Congress, officially opening the legislative year.

 Under the two previous phases of the Humanitarian Project Plan, more than 115 remains of Argentine soldiers buried in the Falkland Islands were identified by a multi-nation forensic team. The Plan under the guidance of the Red Cross was agreed by the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islands with Argentina.

In the address, a sort of “State of the Nation”, president Fernandez focused some five to eight minutes at the end of his two-hour long speech on his government's foreign policy basics and objectives: cooperative multilateralism, strongly supporting peace, international security, the peaceful solution of controversies, human rights, defense of democracy and caring for the environment.

“In all these forae we have strived for cooperative and egalitarian solutions to the great global problems”, Fernandez said, adding that “likewise we promote dialogue in our region to overcome existing differences. We promote constructive dialogue with our Mercosur partners and have accepted the challenge of holding the chair of CELAC, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States”.

Argentina as such, is loyal to the principles of international coexistence, and calls for peace and the peaceful resolution of international controversies. “Argentina will always reject the use of armed force and reiterates the need to respect the principles of the United Nations charter”.

And then the Malvinas Question, which “must be a State policy that complies with the mandate of the First Transitory Provision of the National Constitution outlining consensus strategies which can enable us to successfully conduct the claim. The willingness to construct such a consensus was clearly expressed in the several laws we promoted and which were unanimously sanctioned in both Houses”.

“It's forty years since the South Atlantic Conflict and we launched the 'Malvinas Agenda 40 Years' and have declared 2022 as the year of the homage from the Argentine people to the fallen as well as their families and the Malvinas veterans. That is how we visualize one of the last residues of colonialism”.

“Argentina reiterates its search for a negotiated and peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute, to comply with the unrenounceable objective of recovering the full exercise of sovereignty over part of our territory which remains usurped. We thank the support of all countries, regions and the International forums that have expressed support for Argentina”.

“Our commitment to honor the fallen in Malvinas is expressed in sustaining an identification policy of our soldiers which were left behind in that part of the national territory,” and thus the interest expressed to the ICRC in a third phase of the identification of the fallen Argentines in the framework of the Humanitarian Project Plan, as part of the initiative which was launched in 2012, and has had continuity with the successive governments.

Finally, last but not least, “I am convinced that Malvinas is a national cause that brings together and mobilizes the Argentine people, Malvinas were, are and will be Argentine”.

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  • Falklands-Free

    That speech confirms exactly why we have no desires to entertain the Argentine demands.
    Everything that he said was a direct demand to full sovereignty over our territory.
    There is no need to conduct a third look at the identification of soldiers. That was totally completed in the last phase. No it is just another ruse to get Argentines back on the ground on the islands.
    It is time that the free living world put Argentina firmly in its place and put a final stop to all this fiction of being usurped.
    Because the people of the islands are totally ignored, then so we should firmly shut the door on the Argentines.
    Yes it might make life a little more difficult in the beginning by not having flights to South America.
    We should now decide on the actual future of the Argentine cemetery.
    It is clear that the only reason they left their fallen on the islands was to keep the political door open with the UK.
    Given they continue to refuse to accept the we islanders exist and that they use their war dead as a propaganda tool we need to have all those soldiers returned to Argentina no matter what the outcry.
    Anywhere else in the world war graves are sacred respected places for all that fell in battle.
    However the cemetery that contains the Argentine fallen has never been respected as a true place for their war dead but a political tool to fight for something that has never belonged to them.
    We are getting tired of the constant ignorance of Argentina.
    We must stand firmly for our rights. Thise rights does not include Argentine sovereignty.
    Now is the time for our elected MLA,S to stand up and be counted.
    We have put up with Argentine bullying for far to long let us repatriate the dead and put a final end to any ideas that their people are resting on their soil. It is not and never has been their soil .
    If they wont accept their dead then let us bury them at sea 200 miles from our shores. Let us the islanders stand up and be counted, not dictated to.

    Mar 03rd, 2022 - 10:03 am +3
  • Dirk Dikkler

    The Argentine President just Confirming that He Wants the Falklands to be given to Argentina ! Which runs counter to a Negotiated Discussion with the UK over Sovereignty !

    Mar 02nd, 2022 - 11:40 am +1
  • Judge Jose

    The islands were not are not and never will be Argentinian, Deluded indoctrinated clowns.

    Mar 02nd, 2022 - 11:52 am +1
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