One of Buenos Aires' main dailies, La Nacion, is reporting that China will not back down from its port plan in Patagonia, as promised by the regional and national governments. In early June, Argentine Governor of Tierra del Fuego Gustavo Melella revived an old controversy concerning a deal with a Chinese company to build a multipurpose port in Rio Grande
It's election time in Argentina and only a few weeks left, so ribbon cutting and inauguration of public works has become one of the main jobs of government officials. That is what happened over the weekend in Ushuaia during the ceremony, via video conference with Buenos Aires, officially opening the extension of the port terminal, an additional 104 meters docking capacity, together with equipment and increased storage facilities.
Argentina's general elections next October are focusing mainly on inflation (150% this year, cost of living and food prices), plus security and street violence, but for those a bit better off and with time to think a semi-hidden issue, plus the overall influence of China in the country.
The governors of the Argentine provinces of La Pampa, Salta, and Tierra del Fuego were reelected Sunday. Meanwhile and following a Federal Supreme Court ruling, San Juan and Tucumán had to postpone their gubernatorial elections, but the former voted for local authorities anyway, while the latter adjourned the process altogether.
The Argentine government will be claiming this week before the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, or C24, the resumption of negotiations with the United Kingdom for a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.
A new port is to be developed in the Fuegian city of Rio Grande at a cost of US$ 210 million, which will be disbursed by a group of private companies interested in promoting trade in the area, it was reported.
Malvinas Veterans set up the Dignity Tent in the city of Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, in anticipation of the traditional April 2nd vigil, the day when Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands and occupied them for 74 days, surrendering to the British Task Force sent to recover the South Atlantic archipelago.
The Tierra del Fuego province bank has issued special debit plastic cards for Malvinas veterans with a picture of the East and West Falklands map, to mark the fortieth anniversary of the South Atlantic conflict, and reaffirmation of the Argentine claim over the Islands.
A “nutty” initiative, Tierra del Fuego governor Gustavo Melella described the proposal by several Argentine lawmakers to create in Congress a Malvinas Islands bench, which would remain empty covered with an Argentine flag until the legitimate occupier arrives, a symbolic sovereignty claim over the Islands 'usurped' by Great Britain.
Argentine Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana and the governor of Tierra del Fuego province, Gustavo Melella laid the founding stone of the Ushuaia Integral Naval Base, which will replace the current naval base, and will be built in two phases including 15.000 square meters military wharf.