The Malvinas War Veterans Center in Ushuaia re-elected veteran Juan Carlos Parodi as its president this Saturday, consolidating a "hardline" leadership that has been characterized by public confrontation with the national and provincial governments on issues of sovereignty .

Parodi won a second term, beating Conrado Zamora and the candidate and Tierra del Fuego government official, Osvaldo Hillar.

The election result is seen as a sign of support for Parodi's firm stance , especially his criticism of the President of the Nation, Javier Milei, for his remarks at the event held on April 2nd in Plaza San Martín in Buenos Aires .

Harsh criticism of Milei for "self-determination"

On April 2, Malvinas War Veterans and Fallen Soldiers' Day , Parodi was the national voice of dissent at an event attended by Vice President Victoria Villarruel in Ushuaia, criticizing Milei's statements in favor of the island's inhabitants.

President Milei had stated: "We hope that the people of Malvinas will one day decide to vote for us with their feet," and had expressed that the most important vote is the one cast "with their feet," in a reference that, for the ex-combatants, was translated as the will to apply the principle of self-determination.

Parodi reacted publicly, stating: " I just heard the President say in his speech that we must listen to the inhabitants of the islands say they want to be Argentine, something similar to the self-determination of peoples, which is not appropriate in this case at all because they are not an indigenous people, as we all know ." The veteran also emphasized his discontent with the direction of the diplomatic efforts, recalling that Milei supports the policies of Carlos Menem, signatory of the Madrid Accords .

The radar and criticism of Melella

Another key focus of Parodi's administration, and one that undoubtedly influenced his re-election , is his staunch opposition to the radar installed in Tolhuin by the British and Irish-owned company Leolabs Argentina SRL . Parodi has questioned the collaboration of Gustavo Melella 's government in the installation of this infrastructure, which is considered by a large portion of the Center's members and most of Tierra del Fuego's social and political sectors to be a threat to sovereignty.

The reelected president has described the radar as "the icing on the cake" of inaction in defense of sovereignty. "The English continue to do whatever they want in this country," he declared at the time, demanding an investigation to clarify who, at the national and provincial levels, authorized its operation.

In addition to rejecting Tierra del Fuego's national and provincial policies, Parodi has been calling for a shift from commemorative speeches to concrete actions.

" We failed to ensure that the Malvinas are studied in schools... If it weren't for us, it wouldn't be talked about anymore. It's a very delicate job that English intelligence and diplomacy have done to ensure that the Malvinas are no longer talked about ," Parodi said, criticizing the state's "negligence" after 43 years of the 1982 War.

Without a doubt, the result of the election in Ushuaia sends a strong message: the ranks of Fuegian veterans reaffirm their position of not negotiating sovereignty and demand that national and provincial authorities radically change their Malvinas policy, without concessions to positions that weaken Argentina's territorial claim .