Cristina Kirchner: “I just want to ask the British Prime Minister to give peace a chance”

 

February 7, 2012

 

The president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, led a rally to claim sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands. It had the participation of members of the ruling party, the opposition, trade unionists (with Hugo Moyano in first row), human rights organizations and veterans of the Falklands War.

Very good afternoon to all. I think, certainly, more than ever I am the president of the 40 million Argentines because of the presence of the political spectrum, the members of human rights organizations, members of the Armed Forces, members of private companies, the members of unions and veterans, which reveal that this is a fact of state policy.

I would first of all, thank Colonel Rattenbach, son of Benjamin Rattenbach for his presence and transmit the pride of the Argentine people to have had a general like his father, a true son of the army of San Martin. I imagine the pain he had to make the report which, in 30 days, will be shown to the public and the world.

This has to do with pillars that we carry since 2003, who are memory, truth and justice. To this, I add democracy and sovereignty. Because they give the exact place that has the cause of the Falklands. Democracy, because we can express ourselves in unlimited voting rights. The first sovereignty is popular sovereignty, without it there can be no sovereign state.

Therefore, we maintain, as I did before the UN Assembly, we can not be attributed a decision based on that decision [the war] to refuse to discuss over the Falkland Islands.

I think this cause is a cause at regional and global levels, because we have historically displayed a strong claim to all all Latin American and because I believe every country is reflected in what can happen to them. It is an anachronism to continue to maintain colonies, there are only 16 cases worldwide. 10 of that case are from England, and today we see how the claim of Spain rages on the Rock of Gibraltar.

It is global because it looks like fishing is operated without environmental control, which can cause an ecological crisis. The great battles of the XXI century will be for resources, and Latin America is one of the richest regions.

And it is because they are militarizing the South Atlantic once more. We can not interpret it in any other way, for the effort and willingness to say, sending a huge and very modern destroyer, accompanying the royal heir. We would have liked to see him in civilian clothes and not military.

I could repeat to you what they say in the British media, that some decisions have to do with economic issues of the old continent, but I will not do so. I just want to ask the British Prime Minister to give peace a chance, for the first time, an opportunity for peace and not war.