By Robert Cox (*) - Charleston, South Carolina - The misbegotten war over the Islands that need not be named has reversed the concept that war is a continuation of politics or diplomacy by other means. The conflict continues in political and diplomatic terms in Argentina and in Britain. Lost in the clamour is the key to the solution: the interests of the native Islanders.
Argentine veterans from the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas war with Britain reiterated on Wednesday a request for the identification of 123 unknown comrades buried in the Falkland Islands.
The president of the Ushuaia Chamber of Tourism again called Tuesday on the Governor of Tierra del Fuego Fabiana Rios to retract from interpreting the ‘Gaucho Rivero’ bill in a way that bars British or convenience flagged cruise vessels from docking in Ushuaia.
A few days after the Chilean and Argentine media ran the story that Roger Waters had said that the Malvinas Islands belonged to Argentina, the former Pink Floyd lead singer published a note on his Facebook page where he explained that a local journalist “misunderstood” him since he never made such statement.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez says a new museum dedicated to the Falklands/Malvinas Islands will honour Argentine marines killed trying to reclaim them from Britain 30 years ago.
Mercosur country members are scheduled to hold a meeting in Rio do Janeiro to agree on a common protocol for all vessels originating in the Falkland Islands and calling at regional ports, announced Uruguay’s Defence minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro.
The apparent change in Argentine policy towards the Falkland Islands by offering three direct flights to the Islands from Buenos Aires instead of cutting the air link with Chile, as had been anticipated, was described by Chilean diplomatic sources as “an attempt to collect international support and look less mean”.
Morrissey has waded into the row over the Falkland Islands telling the audience at an Argentine gig that they belong to you. The former Smiths front-man, who counts Prime Minister David Cameron among his fans, made the remarks during a concert in Cordoba, Argentina.
The Patagonian province of Chubut said that contrary to what happened earlier this week in Tierra del Fuego, there is no ban on any cruise vessel flag and all are welcome to dock and make use of the provincial ports’ services, particularly Puerto Madryn which belongs to the South Atlantic sea tourism circuit.
By John Fowler (*) - I handed the family's passports to a rather stern-looking official behind a desk, while my wife and mother-in-law passed through into the departure lounge with our daughter, who was just a few months short of her first birthday. Along with the passports, I also handed over three white identity cards. These were issued by the country through which we were in transit on our way to holidays in Britain from our home in the Falkland Islands.