STATE TERRORISM CFK's Junta - Argentine government begins process to dismember Clarin media group

Argentina's government Monday began the process of auctioning off media licenses and related assets held by the media conglomerate Grupo Clarin SA. The move, which government officials say should take about 100 business days to complete, comes after a lower court judge ruled Friday that a three-year-old media law requiring Clarin to be dismantled is constitutional.

Early morning Cristina Fernandez administration official visited Clarin to inform them the process of auctioning licences had started

“We notified Clarin that the auction process has begun. The law is constitutional, and it is in full effect,” said Martin Sabbatella, who was appointed by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez to enforce the law.

Earlier Monday, Clarin appealed the ruling to a federal appeals court. In a statement, Clarin accused the government of violating other court decisions by starting the auction process.

Clarin noted the same federal appeals court recently said the company would have one year to comply with the law even it were found constitutional. Clarin also said that because it appealed the ruling, the decision automatically would be suspended until it has been confirmed or rejected by a higher court.

Marcela Basterra, a constitutional law professor at the University of Buenos Aires, said the government's action Monday was primarily political.

“The government is doing this for political reasons because, legally speaking, it has to wait for a decision on this matter from the appeals court before it can act,” Mrs. Basterra said. “In reality, this case is going to end up in the Supreme Court, and only then will it be resolved.”

Mrs. Basterra said the lower court's ruling isn't binding because it has been appealed. She said the Supreme Court eventually will have to decide whether the law is constitutional and how much time Clarin has to comply with it.

“The majority of constitutional scholars think the one-year period will come into effect only if the law has been definitively declared constitutional by the Supreme Court,” she said.

Mr. Sabbatella disagrees and has said repeatedly that the one-year divestment period has expired already, meaning the government is right to enforce the law immediately.

Monday's developments are the latest in an intense and public battle between Clarin and President Cristina Fernandez, who accuses the company of being a coup-mongering monopoly that tries to topple her government.

Falklands claims UN Decolonization chair is not acting with impartiality

The Falkland Islands government complained on Tuesday that the Chairman of the UN Decolonization Committee, Ambassador Diego Morejón Pazmiño is not acting with the impartiality that his role demands and revealed a letter, which remains unanswered, inviting the ambassador to visit the Falklands matching his informative trip to Argentina on the sovereignty of the Islands dispute.

The Falklands’ release refers to an interview published by the Argentine newspaper Tiempo Argentino where Mr Morejón Pazmiño, last 8 October, is quoted making statements “that, if reported accurately, would conflict with his role as an impartial C24 Chairman” and with a later interview in the same media (November 10) with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who stated people should be able to plan and govern their own future, which “is the main criteria of relevant UN bodies”.

The Falklands government letter dated 18 October to Ambassador Morejón Pazmiño points out that it is clear from the Tiempo Argentino interview and other speeches in the past, “that you have already decided that the Falkland Islands should be ceded to Argentina against the clear wishes of its people. This is in direct conflict with the United Nations principle of self determination”.

Further on the letter underlines that the Chair of C24 has visited Argentina “so as to better inform yourself in this matter and yet you have failed to do what any impartial Chair would then do, namely to visit the Falkland Islands, speak to Elected Members and talk to our people”.

The letter also mentions the fact that Ambassador Morejón Pazmiño admits to have been chosen to the C24 Chair “as candidates in the Caribbean were thought to be biased” on the issue of the sovereignty dispute.

After recalling that the Falklands are a self-governing Overseas Territory of the UK, (“on our own choosing”), the letter says that “we are a thriving democracy with a modern Constitution. We elect our own Government in a democratic manner, make our own laws and run our own affairs. We neither receive funds from nor send monies to the United Kingdom”.

The letter also rebukes statements of alleged ‘militarization’, reminding the C24 chair that the only reason there are military forces in the Falklands is “as a result of our country being invaded by Argentina in 1982”.

Finally the elected Members of the Falkland Island Government “yet again extend an invitation to you and other members of the C 24 to visit the Falkland Islands before the next meeting of the Committee so as to better inform yourselves of the real situation here”.

It must also be said that the Falklands government states that “the Decolonisation Committee is seen by most people as an outdated, ineffective and partial Committee and your actions as Chair have brought its reputation even further into disrepute”.

Follows the complete text of the letter addressed to the C24 Chair:

“Dear Ambassador,

I write to you on behalf of the Members of the Falkland Island Legislative Assembly. We were concerned to read your comments on the Falkland Islands as reported recently in Tiempo Argentino.

In the article you rightly say that the Falkland Islands are no longer a colony. The modern Falkland Islands are a self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom; a situation of our own choosing.

We are a thriving democracy with a modern Constitution. We elect our own Government in a democratic manner, make our own laws and run our own affairs. We neither receive funds from nor send monies to the United Kingdom.

As the Chair of a United Nations Committee you are bound to uphold the values of that institution and to act in a democratic and impartial manner. You state that you were chosen to Chair this committee as candidates in the Caribbean were thought to be biased.

However, it is clear from this report, and from other speeches in the past, that you have already decided that the Falkland Islands should be ceded to Argentina against the clear wishes of its people. This is in direct conflict with the United Nations principle of self determination.

You have visited Argentina so as to better inform yourself in this matter and yet you have failed to do what any impartial Chair would then do, namely to visit the Falkland Islands, speak to Elected Members and talk to our people.

You also claim that the United Kingdom has failed to respond to Argentina’s claims of militarisation of the Falkland Islands.

I would first remind you that the only reason there are military forces here is as a result of our country being invaded by Argentina in 1982. On the specific point, I would refer you to the written reply of 22nd February 2012 from the United Kingdom Government to the Government of Argentina.

The Decolonisation Committee is seen by most people as an outdated, ineffective and partial Committee and your actions as Chair have brought its reputation even further into disrepute. The elected Members of the Falkland Island Government yet again extend an invitation to you and other members of the committee to visit the Falkland Islands before the next meeting of the Committee so as to better inform yourselves of the real situation here.

Yours sincerely,

The Honourable Dr Barry Elsby MLA,
On behalf of Members of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly”

Second Argentine Navy vessel retained in Africa

A second Argentine Navy vessel remains retained in Africa, although this time because of mechanical problems. So far this month the Argentine navy has suffered the ‘loss’ of three of its units: two corvettes and the training frigate ARA Libertad.

ARA Espora was participating in the South Atlas annual exercise in the South Atlantic

The latest loss is ARA Espora, a corvette participating in a joint naval exercise with its peers from Brazil, Uruguay and South Africa, which suffered technical and mechanical problems forcing her to dock in South Africa.

Originally another corvette ARA Spiro had to be released from attending the exercises because it also underwent a breakdown.

ARA Libertad meantime remains at the port of Temo in Ghana under an impound order from a local court on request from the NML Capital fund which pretends to cash Argentina defaulted sovereign bonds for the value of over 300 million dollars, and is rapidly becoming an international litigation.

Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil together with South Africa every year are involved in South Atlas exercise with the purpose of defending the South Atlantic and establishing closer links between the three South American countries and South Africa.

Apparently ARA Espora suffered the failure of one of its four generators and had to call back to port,  she will stay at least two week waiting the spare parts in South Africa.