Chile y Argentina siguen tensos con el tema de Malvinas

Compartir
Compartir articulo
Chile and Argentina still tense over Falklands war

 

The 1982 Falklands War, which saw British forces fighting against Argentine over the control of the South Atlantic Falkland Islands and marked one of the darkest moments in Chilean and Argentine relations, is still causing controversy between the two South American neighbors.



On Monday Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Bielsa announced that he had expressed his disapproval of Chile?s stand on the Falklands issue during his meeting last week with his Chilean counterpart Soledad Alvear.



While Argentina has always held a dim view about Chile?s support of the United Kingdom during the war, this latest episode is part of a controversy that dates back to last June 14 when the Chilean Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Mariano Fernández, took part in the celebrations organized in London by kelpers (residents of the Falkland Islands) to commemorate the U.K. victory in Port Stanley (known by Argentines as Puerto Argentino) 22 years ago. The battle marked the end of the 72-day war.



The diplomatic event seemingly went unnoticed at the time. According to the conservative daily El Mercurio, the respective Foreign Affairs Ministries had previously discussed the issue and come to an agreement.



Still, Bielsa took advantage of last week?s visit to Santiago for the signing of a mining integration treaty protocol to comment negatively on Chile?s recent conduct.



After praising Chile?s foreign policy and governance as ?an example for Argentina? and after minimizing Chile?s alleged diplomatic isolation, Bielsa strongly criticized Fernández?s presence at ?festivities led by the illegitimate government of the Malvinas to celebrate the fall of Puerto Argentino.?



While Bielsa did not criticize the friendly relations between the United Kingdom and Chile, he did insist that ?we cannot stand by indifferently if Chilean diplomatic officials were to take part in a celebration of an Argentine military defeat?, a painful day for our country.?



When asked directly, Bielsa denied that he was referring to any concrete episode and the Argentine Embassy did not reply when contacted by the Santiago Times. But the local press was quick to jump on the issue and immediately linked Bielsa?s comments to the June 14 celebration.



El Mercurio reported that during the celebration, Falkland Islands Government Representative Sukey Cameron accused the Argentine government of having taken measures ?to make life of the inhabitants of the island more difficult.? Moreover, Cameron contrasted Argentina?s attitude with ?the excellent relations with Chile.?



Bielsa?s comments took on political overtones in Chile, with members of the rightist Alliance for Chile opposition coalition accusing the Foreign Affairs Ministry of a failure to coordinate with its diplomatic representatives abroad - in a clear attempt to diminish the popularity of Foreign Minister Alvear, a leading contender in the 2005 presidential elections.



While National Renovation (RN) Sen. Sergio Romero described the Chilean Ambassador?s presence in the celebrations as ?imprudent,? RN Dept. Alberto Cardemil pointed out that the delicate situation in which Chile finds itself within the region doesn?t allow for any ?mistake.?



The British Embassy in Santiago, when contacted by the Santiago Times, refused to comment, calling the issue one of a ?bilateral nature.?



But with Argentina still claiming the Falkland Islands as part of their nation?s territory, Bielsa?s comments can hardly be considered as a mere ?bilateral? issue between Argentina and Chile. Every tourist entering Argentina passes by a sign reading ?Las Malvinas son Argentinas? (the Malvinas Island - the Spanish name for the Falklands - are Argentine),



Argentine President Nestor Kirchner during his inaugural speech at the National Congress last year, which was attended by 12 Latin American heads-of-state, including Chile?s Ricardo Lagos, pledged to support Argentina?s claim to the British territory of the Falkland Islands (ST, May 27, 2003).



?We come from the southern part of the fatherland, from the land of the culture of the Malvinas and the continental glaciers, and we will unyieldingly maintain our claim for sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands,? Kirchner said to applause from the audience.



Argentina had claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (which lie 480 km east of its coast) since the early 19th century, but Britain had occupied and administered the islands since 1833 and had consistently rejected Argentina?s claims. Moreover, the inhabitants of the island over the years stressed their sense of belonging to the United Kingdom, rather than to Argentina.



On April 2, 1982 the Argentine military junta led by Lieutenant General Leopoldo Galtieri gave up on long-running negotiations with Britain and instead launched an invasion of the islands. The decision was decidedly political: the military junta was facing strong protests because of human rights abuses and was looking for a way to polarize and unite public opinion on a different issue.



Then-U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher also had her strong political motivations to jump in the war, because she too was had been declining in popularity before the conflict started.



The war ended with Argentina?s defeat and the death of nearly 1000 people, including 600 young Argentine conscripts.