Argentine President Cristina Fernandez with Bill Clinton at government house Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
These last days Argentina and her president has been news in Spain because the government from Argentina has decided to nationalise a petrol company related to a Spanish petrol company.
Some weeks ago president Cristina was also news in Europe because of her words about the Falklands or Malvinas.
So now in London or Madrid (or Barcelona) maybe people are not very happy with the president of Argentina. On the other hand I imagine there are people in Argentina and elsewhere happy with her.
Catalonia and Spain is full of people from Argentina. A lot of people from Catalonia and Spain live in Argentina, maybe mostly in Buenos Aires.
I do not know for how long the hostilities between the two states will continue but I am sure that in the long term they will return to be very good relations.
If you are in Barcelona and you speak French, English, German or Italian you may think about different countries where you could go to live. But if you just speak Catalan and Castilian or just Castilian one of the obvious places to go is Buenos Aires. I say that because Buenos Aires is not just another capital or another country far away. Buenos Aires is one of the few capitals of the world where I feel I could feel at home.
The string between the government of Spain and Argentina is now in a very bad state but fortunately between Argentina and Spain there are a lot of small strings that unite its people.
By the way I have heard that Spain is going to take harsh action against Argentina because of what has happened about YPF. I am sure that are just words because it would be the most stupid thing to do in this world to take harsh action against one country that has all the following in common with Spain:
1. BOTH ARE DEMOCRACIES
2. BOTH SHARE A COMMON LANGUAGE
3. BOTH HAVE A POPULATION WITH EUROPEAN ROOTS
4. BOTH HAVE A LOT OF CITIZENS ON THE OTHER COUNTRY
5. THEY ARE EVEN ONES OF THE FEW COUNTRIES WITH GAY MARRIAGE.
6. MESSI
So let me end by saying that Spain should be very careful. Any harsh measure against Argentina seems to me like attacking ourselves! I also find that it is not good that we ask other countries to choose bewteen Argentinian or Spain. I think that is a wrong question.
Related articles
- Spain-Argentina oil spat threatens special ties (sacbee.com)
- Incensed Spain threatens Argentina after YPF seizure (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Argentina rebuffs global criticism, speeds up YPF takeover (theglobeandmail.com)
- Warmongering won’t settle this old dispute (telegraph.co.uk)
- Argentina plans inside look at YPF’s value (newsok.com)
- Energy stocks drop as Argentina speeds YPF seizure (sfgate.com)
- Kirchner hopes Peronist coup will revive Argentina’s failing economy (guardian.co.uk)
