Former British ambassador to Argentina Mark Kent and Argentina’s Malvinas government secretary Guillermo Carmona have clashed on Twitter after Carmona raised Falkland Islands dispute following a goal by an Argentine player for Scottish side at the weekend.
On April 2, Celtic Football Club were playing against Ross County in the Scottish Premier League when Argentine defender Alexandro Bernabei scored a spectacular goal from the edge of the area in the 95th minute which was retweeted by Carmona, taking the opportunity to claim the “Malvinas” [Falkland Islands] belong to Argentine — using the Spanish name for the South Atlantic archipelago.
“What an emotion it produces to hear ‘Argentina, Argentina…’ on April 2 in Scotland chanted by a fan. Our compatriot Alexandro Bernabei, a Celtic player, made it possible with a magnificent goal. And how not to say it on an occasion like this: #TheMalvinasAreArgentine”, wrote Carmona.
The Malvinas government secretary’s comments appeared to have angered Kent who hit out at him in Spanish on Twitter, telling him not to mix sport and politics.
“Don’t mix sport with politics. In the UK and Scotland we love Argentine players and show our appreciation. We honour Malvinas [Falklands] veterans on both sides. You did nothing to promote humanitarian cooperation. You are a poor populist politician without shame,” responded Kent, a British envoy to Argentina from July 2016 to June 2021.
Social media users were quick to voice their opinion.
Some discussed how Wimbledon banned Belorussian and Russian tennis players during the annual sporting event in London while denouncing what they perceive as “colonialism” from London concerning the islands.
Some of Carmona’s detractors offered support for Kent, encouraged by the use of the term “populist” with one user calling him “by far the best British diplomat we’ve had.“
Another user suggested that in countries like Argentina “football is political” and suggested that any ambassador should be aware.
Carmona also wrote to Kent to not “use humanitarian issues to justify colonialism as you did when you were ambassador” and took aim at the British government for allegedly not meeting its “obligations” regarding the Humanitarian Project Plan — an agreement between Argentine and British delegations and two Falkland representatives to help identify Argentine soldiers and their remains on the Falklands.
“When your country respects international law, sits at the negotiating table to comply with UN resolutions and ends the shame of colonialism, I may even consider your sports advice,” Carmona told Kent.
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Argentina leader discusses Falkland Islands dispute with UN chief
Push for re-negotiations
In recent weeks Argentina has been pushing for re-negotiations over the fate of islands.
On March 28, Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez met with Antonio Guterres in New York and pushing for fresh talks with the UK to end their dispute over the South Atlantic archipelago.
Earlier in the month, Argentina walked away from the controversial Foradori-Duncan pact with the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands that Argentina says were illegally taken from the South American nation some 190 years ago.
Argentina says the Falklands were illegally taken from it in 1833 and sent troops to the British overseas colony in 1982.
London dispatched its military and Buenos Aires lost the two-month war that claimed the lives of 649 Argentines and 255 British soldiers.
London says the Falklands are a self-governing entity under its protection. The islands are located in the South Atlantic about 600 kilometres from the Argentine mainland and some 12,985 kilometres from the UK.
A 2013 referendum on the islands resulted in a 99.8 percent vote to remain British.
On April 1, Argentina held Veterans Day to honour those that lost their lives during the dispute between Buenos Aires and London.
READ MORE: Argentines hail govt for scrapping Foradori-Duncan pact on Falkland Islands
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