The United Kingdom played down the request made by Argentine President Cristina Fernández to Pope Francis to intervene in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands sovereignty dispute and recalled the recent referendum with an overwhelming support from Islanders to remain a British overseas territory.
Former Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, came on stage to once again question the Government of President Cristina Fernandez. In an interview with the Spanish media, the dictator said that in case the Kirchnerites try to “perpetuate in power, the armed and security forces along with the people will prevent it.”
Argentina’s energy self-sufficiency can be expected in five to six years said Miguel Galuccio, CEO of YPF, the oil and gas corporation which was nationalized a year ago when the government of President Cristina Fernandez seized a 51% majority from Spain’s Repsol.
The Pope has no reason to intervene in the Falklands/Malvinas dispute, since the Vatican is not an international tribunal and there is no imminence of a war, according to Rodolfo Terragno an Argentine lawyer and former head of cabinet, minister and congressman.
The Vatican Press Office has announced that Pope Francis will meet Argentine President Cristina Fernández on Monday at 8.50 AM Buenos Aires time. It will be the first official meeting the pontiff holds with a head of state.
The following editorial on the Falkland Islands issue was published by the United Arab Emirates Gulf News.
The referendum by the 2,500 inhabitants of the British-administered Falkland Islands has not contributed to finding a political solution to the dispute between Britain and Argentina that has run for centuries.
Canada’s Globe and Mail had an editorial on the Falklands referendum.
Not since the halcyon days of the Soviet Union has a vote been so lopsided, but there was no fraud or coercion. Ninety-two per-cent turnout; over 98% support for the Falkland Islands to retain its status as a British Overseas Territory.
John Carlin, the British writer and journalist who works for Spain’s leading newspaper El Pais, with a high degree of irony strongly criticized Argentina’s claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands as an ‘epic idiocy’.
A major conflict could be brewing between Argentina and Brazil after Rio’s Vale decided to cancel a 6 billion dollars potash development project in Mendoza and the Argentine Labour minister issued a mandatory conciliation which actually impedes implementation of the closing down decision.
Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman revealed that the Argentine government had received on Friday morning a letter from Interpol stressing that the memorandum of understanding signed between the Argentine and Iranian governments last month meant a “positive progress” for the investigation of the AMIA bombing.