Alexander Jacob Betts was never exposed to any danger whatsoever from other Falkland Islanders or Britain’s Armed Forces during the 1982 conflict. This has been stated by the Falklands History Group in reference to Betts, who was born in Stanley, and lived in the Islands until the end of the 1982 conflict, but who is now an Argentine citizen.
A group of lawmakers from six Latin American countries and Argentine officials met in Ushuaia in support of Argentine 'legitimate sovereignty rights over Malvinas, Georgia and South Sandwich Islands', in the framework of UN General Assembly Resolution 2065 fiftieth anniversary celebration, which called on the United Kingdom and Argentina to reach a peaceful negotiated solution over the Falklands/Malvinas dispute through bilateral discussions.
The Embassy of Argentina in the UK celebrated Independence Day on Thursday, highlighting the importance of national sovereignty and Latin American unity. Before a packed audience of over four hundred people, the Argentine Ambassador Alicia Castro delivered a speech in which she recalled that the aim of the struggle for independence was to unite all the peoples of Latin America.
Bolivian president Evo Morales revealed on Friday that Pope Francis told him that there are three pending issues in the continent, Puerto Rico, Falklands/Malvinas and Bolivia's sea outlet claim. The pope has been recognized by all sides as the 'bridge' which helped bring together Cuba and the US after over half a century of mutual distancing.
Falklands born, Argentine citizen Alejandro Betts rejected statements published in Clarin which described his 'Malvinas veteran' pension as 'controversial' and admitted he was surprised, when not startled by the headline display the news was given by the Buenos Aires daily in reference to his activity during the 1982 South Atlantic conflict.
“Argentine courts have no jurisdiction in the Falkland Islands”, said Falklands' lawmaker Mike Summers early Monday in response to the latest Argentine attempt into bullying the Islands and derailing its economy.
The president of the UN Decolonization Special Committee (C24), Xavier Lasso Mendoza argued that the Falklands/Malvinas issue is a territorial integrity and sovereignty dispute between two countries, and since there is no subjugated people in the Islands, if a visiting mission is to be sent, it would have to be to Buenos Aires and London, with the simple message, ”when are you going to sit and begin negotiations?
The United Nations Decolonization Committee approved on Thursday a new resolution urging the United Kingdom to discuss the Falklands/Malvinas dispute with Argentina, in order to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. The decision came as no surprise since it has become an annual event despite Falklands' representatives demand for C24 to act in support of Non Self Governing Territories.
Falkland Islands lawmaker Mike Summers called on the UN Special Decolonisation Committee to uphold the basic human rights of the people of the Non Self-Governing Territories, particularly self determination, argued that C24 has no mandate to discuss competing claims over NSGTs and cautioned that in supporting Argentine colonial aspirations in the Falkland Islands, “you are complicit in supporting Argentina’s bullying and harassment”.
The Falkland Islands' long journey from a colony to a self governing, financially autonomous territory, was underlined on Thursday, by lawmaker Phyl Rendell in her presentation to the United Nations Special Decolonization Committee. But so was the fact that advancing development, and relations with the continent are always under threat from Argentina, “who makes no secret of wanting to control our territory against our wishes”.