The Member States of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC in the Spanish acronym) unanimously expressed their strongest support for the legitimate rights of Argentina in the dispute with the United Kingdom over the exercise of sovereignty in the Malvinas, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime spaces.
The CELAC plenary also entrusted the Pro Tempore Presidency, held by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard, to request the United Nations Secretary-General to renew his efforts to accomplish the Good Offices Mission entrusted to him by the General Assembly to find a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute. The CELAC statement ended by highlighting the positive attitude of the Argentine Government to reach a “peaceful and definitive solution to this anachronistic colonial situation on American soil”.
Foreign Minister Felipe Solá thanked the Special Declaration of the regional bloc issued on September 24 in support of our country and stated that “in relation to the Malvinas Question we are fighting an unequal fight, because it is a usurped land. It is in our National Constitution and it is a mandate for which we will continue to fight. We want a dialogue to resume but the UK has refused”.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic of the Foreign Ministry, Daniel Filmus, highlighted the relevance of the CELAC declaration “that expresses its firm support for Argentina regarding the Malvinas Question” and added that “our country values particularly that this body reiterates its call to the United Kingdom to negotiate on the terms set forth in the United Nations resolutions”.
Likewise, CELAC reiterated the importance of complying with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 31/49, which urges the two parties to refrain from adopting decisions that imply the introduction of unilateral changes in the situation, while the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas are going through the process recommended by the General Assembly.
The declaration took place during the CELAC Conference held in the framework of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The regional bloc also made a call for unity in the diversity of the region and promoted the extension of the Pro Tempore Presidency of Mexico at the head of the organization.
The Argentine Foreign Minister participated in the meeting through a virtual platform together with Filmus, the Secretary of Foreign Relations, Pablo Tettamanti, the Chief of Cabinet of the Foreign Ministry, Guillermo Justo Chaves, and the Undersecretary for Latin American Affairs, Juan Valle Raleigh.
In addition to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CELAC member countries, the Ibero-American Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan, and the head of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Alicia Bárcena, participated in the meeting.
The members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States are: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.
