Politics

Demilitarization of the Malvinas Islands

Argentine president Cristina Fernández announced that Argentina will file a complain against the UK for having “militarize” the South Atlantic zone.

During a ceremony in government house, the Head of State also requested the British Prime Minister to “give peace an opportunity”. She ratified that next June 14th, the official claim of the Islands will be presented before the Decolonization Committee.

The president also signed a decree to lift the political and military secret on the war conflict of 1982 imposed by the dictatorship.

She also announced the creation of a committee integrated by the Defense Ministry, the Foreign  Office and  Augusto Rattembach, General Benjamín Rattembach's son, and author of the first report requested by the Military Junta at the end of the war.

In the presence of Cabinet members, followers and other authorities, she pronounced herself against colonialism and the militarization of the South Atlanctic in reference to the British destroyer that accompanies the royal heir to the throne, Prince William, during his visit to Malvinas.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner also mentioned the support offered by Latin American countries while she warned about the depredation of  natural resources like fishing and oil.

She stated the region will also preserve peace since every conflict solved by the South American people have been through dialogue and without the intervention of international entities.

She finally announced the construction of a hospital for the Malvinas Vet, 439 of whom committed suicide after the war.

Further support of the Malvinas question

The support came from political associations in Venezuela which will endorse a declaration against colonialist attempts by the UK on the Malvinas islands.

The document will be the result of the first Meeting of Political Parties of Alba held at the Alba Hotel in Caracas that reunites over 10 political entities of the bloc.

The president of the Latin American Parliament, Rodrigo Cabezas, said that the UK decision to send a warship to Malvinas is an offense to both Argentina and the whole Latin America.

“We will not control salary rise.”, said the president

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner ruled out that the Government is planning to set a ceiling on this year’s collective bargaining and said that unions must “carry on with their salary negotiations freely by taking corporate profit into account.”

Facing a possible increase in the tensions arisen during this year’s salary negotiations, the Head of State assured that “everyone will be able to carry on with their salary negotiations freely.”

“Some are intent on turning us into something we’re not. They say the Government is going to decide how much workers will make. I want you all to know that everyone will be able to negotiate freely,” she said on a live televised speech from the Government House.

In this context, the President reminded business leaders that “they have made a lot of money in the last few years, like never before” and reminded unionists of the need to have a profit margin in every sector when they presented their salary demands.

Fernández de Kirchner made these statements in a moment in which both the CGT and the CTA are claiming for an absence of roof or ceiling in this year’s collective bargaining.

She also criticised the supporters of non registered work, especially the gastronomic field.

However, the President announced that she would create a committee, which will be presided by Industry Minister Débora Giorgi who, along with Deputy Economy Minister Axel Kiciloff, will analyze each sector’s productivity and act as a referee when talks become stagnated.

“This committee will measure the increase in productivity and employment sector by sector. So when both sides get stuck in negotiations, we will have the information necessary to know whether salary demands will affect competitiveness or if they are above profit levels,” she said.

Teamsters ratified their battle plan

The Secretary General of the teamsters’ Union, Marcelo Aparicio, confirmed the continuity of their battle plan which included the blocking-off of Correo Argentino offices.

“The meeting we carried out involved colleagues across all sectors. We have taken to the Correo Argentino to protest and other groups have also made themselves available. What we decided was that they are to join the protests which are being carried out in different parts of Buenos Aires and in the interior provinces of the country,” Aparicio stated.

The union director did not rule out plans for a national strike with a march toward the Plaza de Mayo, especially if in the next few hours negotiations are not organized between the company and the Labour Ministry.

“The battle plan continues in defence of the legitimate job placements. The march is foreseen, but first of all we are looking to open negotiation talks. There is no total trucker strike, the secretary general of the union said.”

Babies' theft during the military dictatorship was a “plan”, said Abrams

Former US deputy secretary of State, Eliot Abrams, declared to the Argentine Justice that Ronald Reagan's government considered babies' theft had been carefully planned since  babies were handed over to families loyal to the military.

"This was the worst case among the Latin American and Asian military dictatorships and regimes of the times, registered during the Reagan republican government .

He also said he had suggested the then Argentine Ambassador, Lucio García del Solar "to make the Church take part in the solution of the issue”

Abrams main concern focused on the live babies, their original families considered missing or dead.

He then wrote a memo of the meeting,  declassified in 2002, which served the “mothers' “ lawyer, Alan Iud, to summon him to declare about "the systematic plan of babies' robbery.".

Abrams, is currently political counselor for the Middle East.

UK 'has no arguments' in the Malvinas sovereignty claim, said the President

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner resumed her official activities after a 20-day medical leave of absence and criticized Great Britain after Prime Minister David Cameron accused Argentina of being a “colonialist” country. She also announced the declassification of the Rattenbach Report about the Malvinas War in 1982.

“I heard they were calling us colonialists. Honestly, we are always tempted to respond, but sometimes we have to avoid doing so because when you hear such statements it’s because they have neither arguments nor reasons,” she said in relation to David Cameron’s statements.

Fernández de Kirchner also said she has instructed Defence Minister Arturo Puricelli to “create a committee in order to declassify the Rattenbach Report,” an independent investigation that was drafted after the Malvinas Islands.

“History clearly shows that that war was not demanded by the Argentine people, but orchestrated by a junta desperate to bury the new reality that had been uncovered by a group of women who were looking for their children and grandchildren while wearing white handkerchiefs on their heads,” she said.

The Head of State also questioned several environmental groups for not criticizing the exploitation of natural resources in the Malvinas Islands, in a moment when many seem to focus on the controversial mining project in Famatina, in La Rioja province.

As she entered the room, she was greeted with a standing ovation from governors and Kirchnerite activists. She was joined by Vice-President Amado Boudou and Cabinet Chief Juan Manuel Abal Medina.