ARGENTINA: Argentines say Falklands referendum result "obvious"

Record ID: 447271

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Argentines say Falklands referendum result "obvious"
  • Date: 12th March 2013
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF NEWSPAPERS
  • Embargoed: 27th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1SL9SS3ZVL0S6SCH9K1YDT2LQ
  • Story Text: People on the streets of Buenos Aires weighed in on Tuesday (March 12) in response to the results of Monday's (March 11) Falkland Islands referendum in which islanders voted almost unanimously - 99.8 percent -- to stay under British rule.
    Most Argentines viewed the vote as a meaningless publicity stunt since many people could predict the outcome before ballots were even cast in the two-day poll.
    "No. The referendum was a waste of time. I wouldn't have even spent a moment talking about it. It was a waste of time," said Marcelo Blanco.
    "As far as I'm concerned, the British in England don't really care all that much about the opinion of the islanders (referring to the Falkland Islands). It's something that (British Prime Minister David) Cameron is using for political advantage," said another resident of Buenos Aires, Oscar Orellano.
    But for some Argentines, the islanders' decision was a logical one.
    "For me it is logical the decision taken by those who live there. Look at it another way, if one day they tell you that you have to change your flag, logically, one is going to prefer living under the flag they were born. For me, it's a logical position for them, obviously not for us," said Gaston Aielo.
    "I think that each person has the right to make the decision regarding their lives so for some reason they (the Falkland Islanders) chose that alternative and not the other one," said Irene Constantino.
    For Argentine Liliana Vargas, the vote reflected the perks of living under the British flag as opposed to the Argentine one.
    "I think it is perfect, what do you want me to say? They are going to much better off being British than Argentines," said Vargas.
    Argentina has claimed the territory since 1833, saying it inherited them from the Spanish on independence and that Britain expelled an Argentine population.
    In 1982 the former Argentine dictator Leopoldo Galtieri sent troops to invade the islands, triggering a conflict that killed about 650 Argentine and 255 British troops. Argentina intensified its sovereignty claim over the southern archipelago.
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