Falkland Islands

• Tuesday, December 20th 2011 - 21:02 UTC

  Uruguay bars vessels but will never share a maritime or economic blockade of the Falklands’ people

  

  Uruguayan President Jose Mujica addressing his peers at the Mercosur summit in Montevideo ratified the country’s position barring Falklands’ flagged vessels from Uruguayan ports in active support of Argentina’s sovereignty claim over South Atlantic Islands, which has led to a serious diplomatic controversy with the UK.

• Tuesday, December 20th 2011 - 07:25 UTC

  Malvinas jurisdictional acts are ‘invalid’ for Uruguay, but UK flagged vessels welcomed in Montevideo

  

  “Any jurisdictional acts coming from Malvinas is invalid for us” and therefore Malvinas flagged vessels are barred from Uruguayan ports, a decision which is extensive to all Unasur members, said Uruguayan Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro.

• Tuesday, December 20th 2011 - 07:01 UTC

  Mujica looses his temper with the media over the ‘Villa Nores’ incident

  

  The Uruguayan president Jose Mujica lost his temper in an incident with a journalist when he was asked what measures the government was planning to avoid a repeat of the situation with a Spanish flagged vessel chased by an Argentine Coast Guard unit and had to take refuge in Uruguayan waters.

• Tuesday, December 20th 2011 - 02:07 UTC

  Mercosur drafting resolution barring Falklands’ flagged vessels from all regional ports

  

  Mercosur member countries meeting in Montevideo for their regular six-month summit are drafting a resolution that would bar Falklands’ flagged vessels from all Mercosur members’ ports, following on the traditional Argentine policy and now openly supported by the Uruguayan government.

• Tuesday, December 20th 2011 - 02:02 UTC

  Timerman thanks Mujica on Falklands: “Uruguay has honoured its word”

  

  Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman publicly thanked and praised on Monday the Uruguayan decision, announced last week, to bar Falklands’ flagged vessels form the port of Montevideo and any other sea or fluvial terminal in the country.

• Tuesday, December 20th 2011 - 00:56 UTC

  Falklands’ fishing companies regret Uruguay’s ban, and losses for the port of Montevideo

  

  Falkland Islands fishing companies association, FIFCA expressed their “extreme disappointment” with Uruguay’s decision not to allow Falklands’ flagged vessels enter the port of Montevideo, which “will only serve to punish its own people”.

• Monday, December 19th 2011 - 07:06 UTC

  “Falklands’ flag remains an internationally recognized registry”

  

  Surprise and perplexity has surfaced from the Falkland Islands following the announcement by President Jose Mujica that Falklands’ flagged vessels are barred from Uruguayan ports.

• Monday, December 19th 2011 - 03:30 UTC

  Mujica “submissive”, “obsequious” with Argentina, claim Uruguayan opposition

  

  Uruguayan opposition called the government of President Jose Mujica “submissive” and “obsequious” with Argentina for having announced it was barring Falkland Islands flagged vessels from the port of Montevideo.

• Monday, December 19th 2011 - 01:35 UTC

  Spain criticizes Argentina for trying to intercept fishing vessel when leaving Montevideo

  

  Spanish ambassador in Uruguay Aurora Diaz-Rato criticized Argentina following an incident with an Argentine Coast Guard unit which tried to intercept a Spanish flagged vessel when exiting Montevideo en route to the Falkland Islands.

• Monday, December 19th 2011 - 01:08 UTC

  Uruguayan navy air patrol escorts Spanish fishing vessel heading for Falklands

  

  As Spanish vessel with Falkland Islands fishing licence was harassed Saturday morning by the Argentine Coast Guard on leaving the port of Montevideo for the South Atlantic and had to reroute course in Uruguayan waters until reaching the high seas.