By Terry Karl (*) - The death of Margaret Thatcher will not change the necessity for or the timing of negotiations on the Falklands/Malvinas issue. This political football has re-emerged repeatedly – regardless of the leaders in power – usually for domestic reasons in both Argentina and the United Kingdom. There is little political will for a settlement in the short-term on either side, especially now that offshore oil is publicly and definitively in the picture.
Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday paid tribute to Baroness Thatcher as an extraordinary leader and an extraordinary woman. Cameron told the British parliament at the start of a specially convened session the former prime minister defined and overcame the great challenges of her age.
The New York Times has introduced a new section called The Opinion Pages, Room for Debate and this week’s theme was “The Falkland Islands without Thatcher”. For that purpose it invited six opinions related to the issue.
The Argentine government remains silent on the death last Monday of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, but several lawmakers, former officials and Malvinas veterans organizations did have something say and not only linked to the Falklands war and the sinking of the Argentine cruiser ‘Belgrano’ in May 1982.
The United Kingdom is hosting G8 Foreign ministers in London for a two-day meeting beginning Wednesday, when they will discuss the situation in the Middle East, including Syria and Iran; security and stability across North and West Africa; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and climate change.
President Barack Obama has said that with the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher the world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty and the US a true friend.
Falkland Islands lawmaker Dr. Barry Elsby and young Islander Krysteen Ormond are expected this week in Mexico with a full agenda of political contacts and media interviews referred to the March referendum when Islanders by an overwhelming turnout and support, 92% and 99.8%, decided to continue as a British Overseas Territory.
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera said that the death of Margaret Thatcher “is a great loss for the world”, while relatives and followers of Augusto Pinochet recalled how close the two leaders were and the support extended to the military regime.
Margaret Thatcher changed Britain forever but also gave hope and real inspiration to people behind the Iron Curtain and all those living without political freedom, said Foreign Secretary William Hague on the death of Baroness Thatcher.
Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female prime minister, liberator of the Falklands and uncompromisingly conservative “Iron Lady” of the 1980s died on Monday following a stroke at the age of 87.