Bolivian president Evo Morales clearly took distance from Argentina’s expropriation of YPF, the Argentine affiliate of Spain’s Repsol which was announced on Monday and caused a major rift between Argentina and Spain and the European Commission.
The Spanish government condemned Argentina’s announcement over the expropriation of YPF, calling it a “discriminatory” and “arbitrary” decision, and stated that it will adopt any measures deemed necessary to defend the interests of Repsol and every other Spanish company.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner sent to Congress a draft bill to expropriate Spain’s Repsol’s holdings of YPF oil and gas company. The announcement was made on Monday at the Government House during a sudden meeting with officials, political leaders, unionists and businessmen.
The CEO from Spain’s main oil corporation Repsol, Antonio Brufau said that there should be no speeches or attempts to impose, but rather more dialogue, in direct reference to the ongoing conflict with the Argentine government over the possible takeover of the YPF branch.
In the last 48 hours “things seem to be getting back on course” said on Saturday Spain’s Minister of Industry Jose Manuel Soria in reference to the ongoing conflict with the Argentine government over the possible take over of YPF, the Argentine affiliate of Spain’s Repsol.
Spanish officials warned Argentina on Friday that the country risks becoming an international pariah if it follows through on its threats to take control of Spanish-owned energy company Repsol's majority stake in its YPF unit.
Spain says its national debt will spiral sharply higher this year as data showed unemployment hit a record high in March, complicating efforts to stabilise the country's strained finances.
Spain is cutting 27bn Euros from its budget this year as part of one of the toughest austerity drives in its history. Changes will include freezing public sector workers' salaries and reducing departmental budgets by 16.9%.
As Spain heads for its second recession since 2010 and unemployment stands at 23%, workers angry at a labour reform the government calls an unstoppable necessity staged a general strike on Thursday, bringing factories and ports to a standstill and igniting flashes of violence on the streets.
“Malvinas and the Spaniards (‘gallegos’) are always to blame” warned UK PM David Cameron to his peer Mariano Rajoy when they met in London over a month ago to talk bilateral issues and the growing irritation caused to both countries by Argentina with its claims over Falklands’ sovereignty and natural resources.