Latin States Back Argentina On Falklands

Latin American and Caribbean nations backed Argentina's claim of sovereignty to the Falkland Islands on Monday in a growing dispute with Britain over plans to drill for oil off the islands in the Atlantic.

At the Rio Group summit of 32 countries hosted by Mexico, Argentina presented a statement quoting Mexican President Felipe Calderon as saying that "the heads of state represented here reaffirm their support for the legitimate rights of the republic of Argentina in the sovereignty dispute with Great Britain."

Calderon did not speak directly about the matter.

Britain and Argentina have long disputed sovereignty of the Falkland Islands - known as Las Malvinas in Latin America - and fought a war over them in 1982. The issue had been relatively calm until a British oil exploration company recently announced drilling plans there. Desire Petroleum PLC said Monday that it has started drilling for oil about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the disputed Falkland Islands, despite strong opposition from Argentina. The country claims the south Atlantic islands as its own and calls them Las Malvinas.
The well is being drilled to an estimated target depth of circa 3,500 meters (11,500 feet)," the company said in a statement. "Drilling operations are expected to take approximately 30 days."

The dispute over the Falklands dates back to the 19th century, when the islands were seized by the British. Argentina has sought their return ever since, invading in April 1982 and holding them until June, when British forces retook the territory. Full diplomatic relations were restored in 1990 and both sides have since largely agreed to disagree on the issue of sovereignty. But anger over the issue still lingers and has been exacerbated by the prospect that Argentina could lose out on mineral wealth discovered offshore. Argentine President Cristina Fernandez ruled out any plans to try to keep the British boats or rigs out.

"We do not believe in methods like blockades," she told reporters.

One of the primary goals of the two-day summit being held in the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen is the formation of a new regional group that would include all nations in the Americas - except the United States and Canada.

A working summit document, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, suggests diplomats are still working on a name for the organization, with the "Latin American and Caribbean Community" being one possibility. The group is expected to be established by 2011. Calderon also said the nations gathered at the summit have pledged to donate $25 million to help Haiti recover from a devastating Jan. 12 earthquake.

[6591Hou]

Britain has occupied the Falklands since 1833 - it's British. If Argentina wants them then they should seek to purchase them.

[agent0060]

Let us be sensible about this. A number of countries have overseas territories. Generally, they stay in their association with the governing or protecting country because they want to. It is ludicrous to try to turn back 400 years of history. But if that is appropriate, then Spain could begin showing the way by handing the Islas Chafarinas, the Penon de Alhucemas, the Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands to Morocco. Each of these territories fall within the same definition that Argentina wants to use with the Falkland Islands. And it would be fair as Argentina attempts to assert that their "rights" follow on from the days of the Spanish Empire. But we see no sign of Spain setting a good example in support of their ex-colony. The only realistic option in this day and age is the self-determination of the indigenous population. And this should not be taken to mean the aboriginal population. If that were the case, then we could go back through all of recorded history and shift sovereignty around until the world was back in its original known state. That would be a catastrophe for the United States since sovereignty would have to revert to the original Amerind people. So the Falkland Islands must remain an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islanders must remain British until the day when THEY say they wish to become an Argentine territory. Argentina must give up her 18th century ideas.

[quapawsix]

Watching Argentina and England fight over this is like watching two dinosaurs screaming and stomping around yelling it's mine no it's mine I tell you mine, no it's mine, mine, mine all mine

[vietnamwar]

GOOD POST...LOL

[quapawsix]

Let the two Chavez and Brown get in a ring and fight it out last man standing gets the Islands.

[formrusmcsgt]

Latin States Back Argentina On Falklands
--
Symbolic move.

Unless Argentina REALLY thinks it can take the Falklans from England (which it can't) all this is pure posturing.

[endurorob_5]

Just dro it Argentina. The residnets consider themselves British and not Argentinian.

[krotec54]

The Argentines are in a bad mindset, if they partnership with England on drilling rights it would be very profitable, if they still want to fight England again for the island, they should be prepared to have heavy damages in their homeland, and it might take awhile to recover, or they will be learning English in schools as the main languish of the country.

[I_am_me1953]

main languish?

[maistir]

British seizure of the Falklands (1833) violated the very policies they pushed President Monroe to declare in 1823 (Americas closed henceforth to colonization). In the 1820's the British recognized Argentina as a successor state to the Spanish Empire, then turned around and took territory from Argentina, not from Spain. The British legal claim to the Falklands is weak. Eventually, Falklanders will be British subjects living in Argentina.

[medeasbiggestfan]

Britain recognised the United Provinces of South America in the 1920s, not Argentina.

[maistir]

medea-fan, Argentina is still comprised of a dozen or more united provinces; it adopted a federal constitution on the model of the U.S. in the 1850's. But these River Plate provinces declared independence from Spain in 1816. I assume the date "1920s" in your post is a typo.

[U_S_Drug_Addict]

since the malvinas are so close to europe it only makes sence,

[U_S_Drug_Addict]

jewruzalem is not in the malvinas now is it?

[U_S_Drug_Addict]

Zis island iz proof hear zat Mouzes parted ze Atlantic?

[medeasbiggestfan]

Who should decide the sovereignty of a country, island, state province or territory? Surely, in a democratic society, it is the people who were born and live in that country, island, state province or territory.

In the case of the Falklands, pretty much all of the Islanders want to remain a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.

Argentina, and the other Latin American countries, should respect the right of the Falklanders to determine their own destiny.

[inketolstoy]

But that would make sense.

[I_am_me1953]

And this Cristina Fernandez, el Presidente of Argentina is a hottie.