The US Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Roberta Jacobson, ratified the Obama administration’s standing on the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty issue, which urges Argentina and the United Kingdom to find a diplomatic exit to the matter.
The night of “show-biz” glitz, light-shows, orchestrated crowds and even musical allusions, that surrounded Tuesday night’s announcement on the Falklands by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez from the Casa Rosada has left Falkland Islanders on the streets of Stanley feeling slightly bemused at the scenes, considered by many to be more reminiscent of the half-time entertainment at a Super-Bowl than a political debate.
A group of Malvinas war veterans assaulted Tuesday evening an Argentine lawmaker as he exited Government House following President Cristina Fernandez Malvinas war “give peace a chance” speech. He had to be rescued by the police and driven away in his car.
There was considerable anticipation and speculation in the Falkland Islands on Tuesday as residents and visitors alike waited to hear Argentine president Cristina Kirchner’s much-publicized evening announcement.
Lawmaker Ivan Moreira from the ruling coalition junior partner UDI said that Chile should not get involved in the Falklands/Malvinas issue which has to be addressed between Argentina and the UK, and recalled that Chile has its own problem with the coming International Court of Justice dispute with neighbouring Peru.
In a much expected speech President Cristina Fernandez announced a further escalation of the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty diplomatic dispute with the UK including formal ‘militarization’ complaints before the United Nations, a personal attendance with a delegation from all parties next June 14 to the UN decolonization committee and called on PM David Cameron to “give peace a chance”
Members of the Falklands Islands Legislative Assembly, Sharon Halford and Roger Edwards, have visited Grenada in the Caribbean to discuss the Falkland Islands right to self-determination with government ministers and senior officials.
A consortium of companies appears to be spending a large day-rate on an Ocean Rig unit which has been fixed for a firm three years off Norway. The semi-submersible Leiv Eiriksson, currently operating in Falklands waters has been wrapped up for a 15-well program over a minimum of 1070 days on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, Greek rig owner Ocean Rig said on Monday.
“We are well aware that Chile has a different position to us regarding the Falklands and this we understand, but it must be the Islanders who determine their political future, not London, not Buenos Aires or third countries”, said UK ambassador in Chile Jon Benjamin in an interview with the Chilean media.
The following piece was published by The Independent, an interview of the Falkland Islands Governor Nigel Haywood by Falklands-born writer, journalist and expert in Latin American and defense affairs, Graham Bound.