MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Stop making politics with Malvinas”, yelled a crowd against Tierra del Fuego officials

Senator Maria Eugenia Dure

“Stop making politics with Malvinas,” openly complained municipal staff from the city of Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego, who were obliged to attend a conference on the “Malvinas” issue, and allegedly had to stand for political comments from national Senator Maria Eugenia Dure.

 Apparently the event occurred last Thursday during the seminar, “Let’s think Malvinas and how to construct Sovereignty,” organized by Ushuaia mayor Walter Vuoto, which turned quite ugly and disturbing since participation was mandatory for municipal employees, who also had to stand for Senator Dure political interventions.

It all went wrong from the beginning since in anticipation of Argentina’s Sovereignty Day over Malvinas Day, the Town Hall of Ushuaia declared a day off for the municipal staff, but according to some of those attending the event at a local Gymnasium, they were informed their presence was mandatory and participation had to be confirmed, with the QR code when attending.

The mood became more restless when having told they had to be seated by 08:40 in the morning, they had to wait until well over 10:30 for the planned activities to begin in the midst of strong murmuring and even some whistling and thumping..

The first incident took place when a veteran municipal employee, openly reproached Mayor Vuoto for the fact that attendance was mandatory. This was followed by further criticisms when Senator Dure started talking, a member of the audience stood up and yelled at the lawmaker, “stop making politics with Malvinas”, and simply walked out of the conference room groaning about how they had been fooled and forced to attend.

The protestor in his way out received a resounding applause, and again whistling, while the Senator tried to contain the crowd saying the seminar had “no political campaigning intention,” but to not much avail. Both the Senator and Mayor Vuoto belong to Peronist organizations, now in the opposition but not in Tierra del Fuego province,

Finally given the tense situation, people started to abandon the conference room and later Vuoto trying to explain what happened said “Malvinas is a highly sensitive issue for the people of Tierra del Fuego”, and regretted some politicians misinterpret this feeling in “such symbolic dates as Sovereignty Day”. However many of those who did attend complained the fact that Vuoto had given the municipal staff the day off, but to force them to attend a political rally, particularly on an issue that is dear to all residents of Tierra del Fuego.

It was also remembered that at the end of 2022, the Senator Dure for Tierra del Fuego sent new year greetings saying “Hoping 2023, finds us united and in peace” illustrated with a map of Argentina with the Malvinas figuring as “Falkland Islands GB”. Despite trying to overcome the blooper, the Falklands greeting reached the office of then Vice-president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, other Senate colleagues, Argentine Foreign Affairs ministry and even the Uruguayan embassy in Buenos Aires.

Apparently Senator Dure is also an active member of the National Council for Issues Relative to Malvinas, and was one of the main sponsors of Law 27.671, which makes it mandatory for all Argentines in government jobs to a Malvinas Cause/Question instruction course.