Legislators from the opposition Broad Front refused to participate in a visit to the Malvinas Islands offered to Uruguayan parliamentarians by the United Kingdom, considering it a “bad sign” when they understand that the sovereignty of the territory “corresponds to Argentina.”
This was confirmed by the deputy for the Broad Front, a left-wing coalition that governed the country between 2005 and 2020, Sebastián Valdomir, who explained why his political force did not participate in the visit, which was attended by ruling party legislators.
“We recognize that there is a dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the (Malvinas) Islands that should be resolved through dialogue (…) and according to negotiation between both parties, which is something that the UK rejects,” he said.
Along these lines, the parliamentarian stressed that for the Broad Front to accept an invitation that, he understands, “should not be made by the British authority” when there is a pending bilateral conflict would not only be “a bad sign” but would go once morest his conviction of that sovereignty “corresponds to the Argentine Republic.”
“We do not agree, as an anti-imperialist force, that there are colonies in any part of the world and particularly in our region,” he said, to which he distanced himself from the position of the deputies of the parties that are members of the president’s government coalition. Luis Lacalle Pou who agreed to travel.
“We might hardly accompany an invitation to a place that is under questioning by a neighboring and sister country, an important commercial partner of Uruguay such as Argentina, where thousands of Uruguayans live,” he stressed.
According to local media reports, a delegation made up of the pro-government deputies Felipe Schipani (Colorado Party), Pedro Jisdonian (National Party), Silvana Pérez Bonavita (Cabildo Abierto) and Luis González (Independent Party) traveled to the Malvinas Islands invited by the Embassy of the Kingdom United in Uruguay.
According to statements by Schipani to the local television station Underlined, the visit is offered annually and has been previously accepted by politicians from “all parties” to learn regarding the reality of the Malvinas Islands because, he opined, going does not imply “at all” recognizing the British sovereignty over them.
The Argentine Defense Minister, Jorge Taiana, demanded last Thursday that the United Kingdom agree to dialogue “once and for all” with the South American country regarding the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands, which have been under the British flag since 1833.