Former Military calls Chileans Swines and not surprisingly they get a little upset.

[scotttswan]

http://en.mercopress.com/2012/04/05...nas-admits-former-argentine-military-governor

http://en.mercopress.com/2012/04/05...a-s-former-military-governor-of-the-falklands

 

[PhilinBSAS]

There is an undercurrent of antipathy towards Chile in Argentina.

My porteno gf's familiy remembers the fear of Chilean Air strikes - there were air raid practices everywhere in Cap Fed apparently.

Thanks for posting this article link.

Reminds me that the little municipal museum in Bariloche has plans on display showing the intended crossing points for the planned invasion of Chile.

In the German Club at Puerto Monte being about the only nice place to eat we could find, we ended up listening to an elderly Chilean lady talking (in English) about what her experiences as a chilena living in BsAs. La Portena (who did have nice things to say about Santiago and Valparaiso) wasnt impressed at all with this lady's opinions and said so! Wow!!

Like I say Argentina have this thing about Chile and not just over the Falklands

 

[expatinowncountry]

In general Argentine are not well regarded in the rest of Latin America because of their arrogance but I dare you find a country where Chileans are liked more. In Peru to call someone a Chilean is actually an insult. Same in Bolivia.
Of course, there are historical reasons for all that and some of them escape the understanding of the average Expat.
Chile is an interesting country... a few weeks ago, there were massive events to celebrate the memory of Augusto Pinochet. That says a lot about (part of) the Chilean society.

 

[Iznogud]

SAS and other British troops operated quite freely in and from Chile during the southern unpleasantness. They did have local support. Chile was not near neutral.

There was an episode with a downed chopper in Punta Arenas where I think they were just delayed or interrupted in their mission.

Regardless, I has always been a "good business" practice of the argie military to insult/inflame the Chileans. That way they procured the funds to keep their hardware updated, misplace a lot of those funds and do some heavy smuggling. SSDD.

Falklands related sabre-rattling is what keeps some of the Royal Navy afloat, isn't it?

 

[scotttswan]

Falklands related sabre-rattling is what keeps some of the Royal Navy afloat, isn't it?

nope wars in the middle east and NATO do that.

There's only 1 ship down in the Falklands afaik.

 

[Iznogud]

That's why I said "some".
If you read about the current scheduled reduction of troops and ships (while carrying on the Middle East effort) and the recent barking contest between both governments over the islands, you'll probably find it most convenient for the RN. Not the first time either.
The whole charade/potential military threat was conveniently blown out of proportions. IMO.

 

[camberiu]

but I dare you find a country where Chileans are liked more.

Brazil? Paraguay? Colombia? Pretty much any LATAM country besides Argentina, Bolivia and Peru?

 

[camberiu]

Chile is an interesting country... a few weeks ago, there were massive events to celebrate the memory of Augusto Pinochet. That says a lot about (part of) the Chilean society.

Non-sense. A large segment of the Chilean society has a good image of Pinochet because, despite being a bloody dictator, his administration turned the Chilean economy around and laid the foundation for the longest sustained period of economic growth for a single nation in South American history. Had the Argentinian military junta accomplished the same, instead of running this country into the ground with hyper-inflation, recession and a humiliating military defeat, this society would be as divided as the Chilean in regards of the historical judgment of its dictators.

We, Latin Americans, love our dictators. Our paternalistic, hierarchical and authoritarian mindsets are fertile ground for Pinochets, Vargas, Galtieris, Perons, Strossners and Chavez of the world. The only problem is that much more often than not, our "beloved dictators" screw up big time. That is why they are not unanimously revered all the time. To imply that the fact that a good chunk of the Chilean society is reticent about democracy is in any way an exception in Latin America, is to be disingenuous.
How many "popular supported" dictatorships has the "freedom loving" Argentinian society had over the past century of so?

 

[HenryNisental]

Besides that, what is not known to most expats is that in December 1978 the Argentine Army and Navy almost went to war with Chile in a dispute over three minuscule uninhabited rocks off the mouth of the Beagle Channel, (right across Usuhaia), and some ocean water rights.
Our Navy had already sailed for the attack, but it was held up by a typical stormy sea, thank God.Then the Vatican requested a reprieve of the invasion, and eventually it mediated a ceasefire.
After the fall of Gral Galtieri in 1982, a new treaty was signed with Chile, (who kept the islands), but Argentina kept about 75 % of the disputed waters. Chileans are hated by the Bolivians and Peruvians becausse they ganged up against Chile in the First Pacific War (in 1880), but they both were defeated and lost two provinces each to Chile. The Chilean Army even occupied Lima for a while. In 1801-1803 Chile signed a treaty with Argentina giving away all eastern Patagonia, to secure its left flank against attack while fighting in the North.

 

[scotttswan]

That's why I said "some".
If you read about the current scheduled reduction of troops and ships (while carrying on the Middle East effort) and the recent barking contest between both governments over the islands, you'll probably find it most convenient for the RN. Not the first time either.
The whole charade/potential military threat was conveniently blown out of proportions. IMO.

Dunno if there wasn't an airfield with a couple of planes, a few soldiers doing training and a boat with loads of guns floating about i wouldn't put it past Cristina to order another invasion.