The government has condemned Argentina for pressuring some cruise ship companies into dropping the Falklands from future itineraries, threatening their businesses if they fail to do so.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) minister Hugo Swire said in the House of Commons yesterday that the government “condemns unequivocally any efforts to intimidate companies from pursuing their lawful business”.
“We have summoned the Argentine ambassador, so she is in no doubt about our strength of feeling on this matter,” he said.
“It would be disappointing if the industry bowed to such blackmail, which is designed to damage the economy and livelihoods of the Falkland Islands’ people.
“The Falkland Islanders are a small community, but they have welcomed visitors for many years, especially from cruise ships, and provided an excellent tourist experience.”
Swire said that the FCO has had discussions with a number of senior executives in the industry, and that he was hopeful that the Falklands would continue to welcome cruise ships.
“We have raised the issue at the International Maritime Organisation, highlighting the health and safety implications of such actions,” added Swire. “And we are in discussions with international partners who share our concerns about these illegitimate efforts to interfere with shipping.”
Swire’s comments followed an incident on November 19 where masked men raided the Buenos Aires offices of a company offering cruises to the Falklands.
However, today there was a further incident where luxury cruise ship the Seabourn Sojourn was blocked by Argentine port workers who wanted to stop the vessel sailing to the Falklands, with union leaders demanding that its captain pledged not to visit the islands before being allowed to sail.
The Daily Mail reported that there was a seven-hour delay before the ship was allowed to leave the port, and the vessel, with up to 450 passengers on board, included a “significant number” of British travellers.
The workers from the United Maritime Workers Union blocked the cruise ship from leaving by invoking the Gaucho Rivero law, passed in August, which is designed to stop British ships from “plundering” Argentine resources in the area, and was expected to be used against British military vessels and those involved in fishing and oil exploration.