MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas and joint condemnation of Russia, the trade off that never was at the EuroLat assembly

Last week the European-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, EuroLat, met in Buenos Aires, hosted by Argentina, and the final declaration included as normally happens in this kind of meetings compromises agreed beforehand.

 In this case the tradeoff was between Argentina's obsession with the Falklands and the Europeans strong condemnation of the Russian invasion and war crimes committed in Ukraine, but it was not to be, since Kirchnerite lawmakers and allies refused to accompany a strong wording against Vladimir Putin.

Furthermore the inauguration ceremony, with a speech from Argentine vice/president Cristina Kirchner as the leading host, triggered an uproar from many European lawmakers since it went far beyond what was considered an institutional, respectful moment and turned into a political tirade, with applauses from K militants in the visitors' balconies.

In her opening speech the former two times Argentine president Cristina in the midst of a battle to discredit her appointed (puppet) president Alberto Fernandez, not only poked fun of his standing and political support, but also blasted the IMF, UN Security Council (insisting in the Falklands claim), NATO, but carefully worded the Russian/Ukrainian conflict.

This caused representatives from the leading force among Euro representatives, (European Popular Party, conservatives) to send a letter to the EU chair of Eurolat, Spain's Javier Lopez, expressing their deepest discontent regarding the embarrassing spectacle of the inauguration ceremony, 'a political rally', completely distant from the institutional spirit and protocol of the parliamentarians' meeting.

But that was just the sprint of the event. In effect allegedly it was agreed and approved a statement on “the search for a peaceful, just and lasting solution to the dispute over sovereignty in relation to the question of the Malvinas Islands, within the framework of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations”

And EuroLat  ”joins the support recently received from other international parliamentary bodies, including, the Parliament of Mercosur (Parlasur), the Parliament of Latin America (Parlatino), and the Parliament of Central America“.

The obedient Argentine media when it comes to the Malvinas question, underlined the statement as another diplomatic milestone for the recovery of the Falklands.

In her long tirade Cristina Kirchner, among other issues, recalled that April 2nd is when Argentina honors Veterans and combatants in Malvinas, and criticized International Law and its European supporters. In effect she said, of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, at some moment, US, UK, France and Russia, except China, have ignored International Law. And therefore Argentina has repeatedly criticized the double standard from the big powers regarding International Law, ”since they believe to be above the rest of countries“. In effect the occupation of our Malvinas Islands by force, finds the UK supported by other powers, that when they don't feel it convenient to support an invasion, they reject it, but when it is convenient because they are their allies, everything is OK.

”Then, dramatically, us Argentines have to live with this double standard in our own land, our own soil. The other day when honoring Malvinas Veterans working in the Senate, what could I tell them about NATO, if NATO installed a base, 14,000 kilometers from the UK, arguing it is not Argentine territory. And let me talk about coherence, because back in 2014 when Argentina was a non permanent member of the Security Council, as the rest of the countries, the annexation of Crimea took place“.

”At that moment there was public consultation in Crimea asking people if they wanted to belong to Russia or Ukraine. And Argentina, and I was president then, voted a US resolution condemning the Crimea question, because since we are coherent, we respect the principle of territorial integrity, across the whole planet“.

”What I mean to say with this is that it is necessary to review seriously the world we want to live in. And regarding inequality, let me remind you, the period with less inequality was from 1945, after the war, until the fall of the Berlin wall. The period of less inequality and when the welfare state was established“.

Finally ”we need International Law rules that are respected by all countries, absolutely all countries, no distinctions. However I must also rescue the support for our fight against the Vulture Funds, with a resolution that now impedes countries from being victims of extortion, as Argentina was at the time with the Vulture Funds. A most important UN resolution“.

Following on the speech and in the letter of complaint from PPE European lawmakers to the EuroLat co-chair of the assembly Javier Lopez, ”The deputies from PPE, participating in the plenary meeting of the EuroLatinamerican Assembly want to express our deepest discontent, following the embarrassing spectacle that happened during the inaugural session of the Assembly's plenary session. From the PPE group we believe that a solemn and institutional act such as the protocol inauguration of the plenary session cannot become instrumental or used with a party supported purpose such as happened in today's celebratory event, more representative of a political rally than of a democratic legislative parliament“.

”Thus we request that you address and transmit to the Latin-American component (of EuroLat) and the Argentine Senate as organizer of the meeting, our most unequivocal protest for the situation created which is far from what should have been a protocol and solemn act, and under no circumstance do we believe it acceptable since it represents a lack of adequate parliamentary courtesy and institutional respect to the dignity of parliamentary functioning,” concludes the letter to Javier Lopez.

And on Thursday there was further frustration for the European lawmakers at EuroLat, since a strong group of Latin American peers, headed by the Kirchnerites, Bolivians and other radical left groupings refused point blank, (despite a previous understanding on a joint vote on the Falklands dispute), to vote for a single joint statement on the Russian invasion. While Europeans favored a strong condemnation in line with the UN, Latin Americans were far softer, no mention of war crimes by Russian troops, calling for dialogue and an end to hostilities, and rejecting the use of force for solving disputes, emphasizing on human rights

Given the situation the co-chairs of the EuroLat, Colombian lawmaker Oscar Dario Pérez and Javier Lopez for the Europeans approved a text condemning in the most forceful terms the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified military aggression and invasion carried out by the Russian Federation against Ukraine in clear violation of the UN charter, and the outbreak of the major war conflict in Europe since WW2, causing a humanitarian emergency, with thousands of deaths, injured and millions of refugees crossing borders to neighboring EU countries, unprecedented in contemporary Europe“

”This has dramatically increased uncertainties regarding the evolution of economies and prospects for a post pandemic recovery“, and ”given the consequences of the war for global food security and international prices for food and other basic products, this new context demands an intensification of efforts in the supply chains and food security, including the protection of production and trading activities necessary to satisfy domestic and world demand, plus the search for new alternative food suppliers“

LatinAmericans lawmakers then announced their own statement which condemned the Russian aggression against Ukraine in contravention of the UN charter, and called on both sides to dialogue. They rejected the use of force and warlike actions as the mechanism for the resolution of differences and emphasized on human rights.

Cristina Kirchner's speech and the final Argentine position on the Russian invasion and war in Ukraine also infuriated the Argentine opposition. ”Following on the vice-president's speech European lawmakers will return to their countries doubtful about the Argentine position regarding Ukraine“ said Fernando Straface, head of Institutional Relations from the City of Buenos Aires city government.

He emphasized the difference with the recent Argentine vote supporting Russia's suspension from the UN Human Rights Council, and the refusal of the Kirchnerites at the EuroLat assembly to condemn Russia, and public statements from her advisor, Senator Parrilli who said Argentina should have abstained, ”all of which puts in doubt what is the real position of Argentina on the Russian invasion and war in Ukraine,”

Finally with the EuroLat assembly over, in effect there was a joint statement calling for resumption of talks between Argentina and the UK on Falklands sovereignty, but the condemnation of the Russian military invasion was divided, the strong one only sponsored by the co-chairs of EuroLat Assembly14th session, and the soft one.

An Assembly ending which became involved in a sour controversy of disputes and annoyance between lawmakers from two continents.

The European Parliament was created in 2006 as a result of the bi-regional strategic association between Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union. It is made up of 150 members, 75 from the European Parliament and 75 from Latin America, including the Parlatino, Andean Parliament Parlandino, Parlasur, Parlacen