At a regional summit in Cancun, Mexico, a statement has been drawn up offering Argentina support in its territorial dispute with London over the Malvinas islands and Britain's attempts to drill for oil off them.
At the summit of 32 countries, Mexican President Felipe Calderon confirmed that "we have approved two texts: a Presidents Statement whereby the Heads of State here present reinforce their support to the legitimate rights of the Argentine Republic in the sovereignty conflict".
The second text supported Argentina's demand that Britain doesn't drill for oil off the islands. It comes a day after a British oil rig began drilling for oil off the islands - a move Argentina formally objected to and has said it will take all legal and diplomatic steps to try and stop.
The President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez, thanked her "Latin American and Caribbean counterparts for the support in the claims for the legitimate rights of the nation in the sovereignty dispute with Great Britain." Further summing up this feeling across the region, President Chavez of Venezuela said, "We demand not only the submarine platform be removed, but also the British government follow the resolutions of the United Nations and give back that territory to the Argentine people." At the summit, the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, expressed views along the same lines, as did President Lula of Brazil, the President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernández, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Guatemala's Alvaro Colom and Michele Bachelet, President of Chile.
Leaders at the summit, between the Rio Group and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), took the decision to establish a new regional body (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), serving as an alternative to the Organisation of American States, and passed resolutions about supporting Haiti and demanding an end to the US blockade against Cuba. |
