UNASUR Raised Malvinas, But UN Stands By Read-out Silent On It

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 13 -- When UNASUR's Ernesto Samper Pizano held a press conference on Friday at 5 pm at the UN, Inner City Press asked him if he had raised to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his team the issue of the Malvinas Islands, which the UK calls the Falklands. Yes, he replied. But it wasn't in the UN's read-out.

 So on July 13, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric:

Inner City Press: there was this meeting between UN… the Secretary-General of UNASUR and the Secretary-General and his chief of staff on Friday.  He gave a press conference here.  He said the issue of Malvinas was raised, but it was not in the readout.  Can you say whether or not it was raised?

Spokesman Dujarric:  I will stand by the readout.  But, the readout is not meant to be… any readout is not meant to be completely exhaustive, so we put out the readout we did.

Inner City Press:  And what are the next steps on, in fact, in naming a good offices envoy to the Venezuela-Guyana…?

Spokesman Dujarric:  As soon as I have something to announce, I will.

On the latter, Inner City Press asked about the issues between Venezuela and Guyana, and Yes,  Ernesto Samper Pizano said, referring also to Ban's 3 pm meeting with Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Eloina Rodriguez Gomez.

   The UN issued a read-out of Ban's 4:30 pm UNASUR meeting barely an hour after it at 5:42 pm. But the 3 pm Venezuela meeting was not read out until after 8 pm. Then the UN said:

“The Secretary-General met today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, H.E. Ms. Delcy Rodríguez. Minister Rodríguez delivered a letter addressed to the Secretary-General from President Nicolás Maduro regarding the United Nations Good Offices process on the border controversy with Guyana. The Secretary-General took note of the Minister’s views regarding the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy and stated that the UN Secretariat was in contact with both Governments regarding this issue.

“Subsequently, the Secretary-General received today a call from the President of Venezuela, H.E. Mr. Nicolás Maduro. The Secretary-General acknowledged receipt of the President’s letter regarding the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy and reiterated his assurances of the readiness of the UN Secretariat to discuss the way forward with both Governments.”

  While this is less than clear, so too is why Ban never replaced the previous Good Offices representative when he passed away. Inner City Press has asked, without answer. Watch this site.