KIRCHNER ABSENCE AT FALKLANDS/MALVINAS MEMORIAL SPARKS

UNCLAS BUENOS QRES 000633

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

WHA/BSC FOR DREW BLAKENEY AND BRUCE FRIEDMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MASS AR
SUBJECT: KIRCHNER ABSENCE AT FALKLANDS/MALVINAS MEMORIAL SPARKS
CRITICISM

REF: BUENOS AIRES 00603


1. (SBU) Summary: President Kirchner was prominent by his absence
at the major commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the
Falklands/Malvinas war in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego. Vice President
Scioli led the ceremony in Ushaia, calling for renewed negotiations
with the UK over the sovereignty dispute and reiterating Argentina's
claims to the islands. Local press reports blame a planned
demonstration by striking public employees and teachers from Tierra
del Fuego and Santa Cruz provinces for Kirchner's absence. Whatever
the reason for Kirchner's absence, his decision not to attend the
commemoration opened him to criticism from war veterans and the
opposition. End summary.

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KIRCHNER A NO SHOW
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2. (U) Kirchner was conspicuously absent from the principle
official commemoration ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the
Falklands/Malvinas war in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego despite Defense
Minister Nilda Garre's earlier announcement that he would be
present. Local press reports blame a planned demonstration by
striking public employees and teachers from Tierra del Fuego and
Santa Cruz provinces for Kirchner's absence. Official sources place
the blame on Garre, stating that the President had not changed his
earlier decision not to attend.


3. (U) Veterans of the war and opposition parties seized the
opportunity to openly criticize Kirchner for not attending any
public ceremony commemorating the war as well as the decision not to
broadcast the ceremony on the state-owned television channel.
National newspaper, La Nacion, published a poll which showed almost
91% of those questioned disapproved of Kirchner's absence from the
ceremony.

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"MALVINAS ARE ARGENTINE"
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4. (U) Vice President Scioli delivered the keynote address to a
crowd of about 5,000, expressing the government's "heartfelt and
deserved homage to those who fell and to those who were wounded or
maimed fulfilling their duty." He called on the UK to resume
sovereignty negotiations pursuant to UN Resolution 2065 and stated
that the Malvinas "are Argentine, they always were and they always
will be." Defense Minister Garre, Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana,
and Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez also attended the ceremony.



5. (U) Taiana has repeatedly criticized the UK's continued
resistance to resuming negotiations to resolve the dispute, denying
appeals from not only the UN, but also from the OAS and other
international forums. He defended the GoA's decision not to
participate in a bilateral commemoration of the war's end in June,
contending that the UK was not planning a tasteful commemoration,
but rather "a militaristic victory parade, a typical gesture of
arrogance." Taiana also belittled the UK for trying to take credit
for efforts of family members of the victims of the war to travel to
the islands to erect a memorial in their honor and for refusing to
participate in bilateral confidence building measures.

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COMMENT
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6. (SBU) It is a bit odd that a president who has consistently cast
fuel on the nationalistic fires surrounding the Malvinas/Falklands
issue would pass up the opportunity to simultaneously rail on two of
his favorite themes: the perversity of the past military junta(in
making its disastrous decision to take Argentina to war with
England); and the arrogance of some powerful foreign interest bent
on denying something to or taking something away from Argentina.
Kirchner's absence has left analysts scratching their heads.
Perhaps he was trying to avoid confrontation with public employees
and teachers from Tierra del Fuego and Santa Cruz provinces, who
were reportedly planning a small protest at the war's commemoration?
Whatever the reason, his decision not to attend the commemoration
opened doors for criticism of a different sort from war veterans and
opposition parties, who seized the opportunity to condemn his
decision and call into question his commitment to the issue.


WAYNE