Argentine President Cristina Fernández left the 6th Summit of the Americas held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, before the official closing meeting allegedly in protest against a lack of regional support for Argentina’s claims in the Falklands/Malvinas dispute with the UK.
In the last 48 hours “things seem to be getting back on course” said on Saturday Spain’s Minister of Industry Jose Manuel Soria in reference to the ongoing conflict with the Argentine government over the possible take over of YPF, the Argentine affiliate of Spain’s Repsol.
President Cristina Fernández and US President Barack Obama agreed to work upon trade differences which in no way conform the central aspects of the bilateral relationship during their Saturday afternoon half hour meeting with an “open agenda” at the 6th Summit of the Americas hosted by Colombia.
Do friendly countries make contingency plans for landing Marines in the big cities of other friendly countries? Even if it’s only to be done in a worthy cause—like supporting a military takeover of a democratically-elected government? During the recent trip to Washington of Brazilian President Dilma Roussief there was a public effort by both sides to “accent the positive” but perhaps there should have been some hard questions behind closed doors.
The Panama flagged cruise vessel M/V Ushuaia is expected to arrive early next week in South Georgia to pick up the stranded 114 passengers and crew of a similar small cruise M/V Plancius which after experiencing serious propulsion trouble took shelter at King Edward Point Research Station in Grytviken.
Spanish officials warned Argentina on Friday that the country risks becoming an international pariah if it follows through on its threats to take control of Spanish-owned energy company Repsol's majority stake in its YPF unit.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has said it is “absurd” for the British government, which has enjoyed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands for 180 years, to maintain its claim from an ocean away “when these Islands are part of our maritime platform.” Applying the logic of Ms. Kirchner, Canada should be stoking international tensions in an effort to annex Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. And perhaps Greenland.
Retired Royal Marine Brigadier Ian Gardiner, who commanded a Marine company in the 1982 Falklands war, thinks a new Argentine attack on the Islands is unlikely.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández met with governors members of the Federal Organization of Hydrocarbon-producing States (OFEPHI) on Thursday evening and later in a flurry of television appearances ministers said energy self sufficiency was the target.
On the day Argentina was expected to make a major announcement referred to the oil industry and the ongoing dispute with Spain’s Repsol-YPF oil and gas corporation, president Cristina Fernandez surprised everybody by talking about chocolates, the yerba infusion and meat export taxes.