The incident occurred yesterday at noon during a meeting of the parliamentary group for friendship with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the Lower House of the Argentine Congress, presided by the libertarian Lisandro Almirón . There, the ambassador Kirsty Hayes asked the deputy of Unión por la Patria, Agustina Propato, to remove or change the t-shirt she was wearing, which displayed an image of the Malvinas Islands. Therefore, in the face of her refusal, she chose not to pose for the photo .
"Tetaz":
For what happened during the meeting of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with the United Kingdom pic.twitter.com/0DGBSl1zgd
"The situation is that they are asking me to take off my shirt so that the ambassador can be in the photo and it seems to me that, as Argentines, we all have one of these shirts at home. Our fallen from Malvinas are our relatives and it seems to me that I cannot be objected to coming with a symbol because the ambassador does not want to. If not, they ask me to move out of the photo ," Propato said in a video that captured the exact moment and was later uploaded to social media.
Deputy Propato, in the centre, explaining why the British ambassador's request will not be granted.
In response, Hayes managed to respond, visibly disturbed: "We also have fallen ones." In front of the unmistakable discomfort of the pro-government deputies Margarita Stolbizer and Martín Tetaz . The latter insisted that Propato change his shirt or leave to take a photo of the representative of the nation that usurps the Malvinas Islands and vast sectors of the South Atlantic from our country.
"We also have fallen," argues the ambassador of the nation that usurped the Malvinas in response.
''This is the shirt I'm not going to take off''
Following the controversy, the Union por la Patria deputy published details on her X account about what happened at the meeting: ''Today, at 12:20 noon, the parliamentary group between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Argentine Republic was formed in the HCDN.'' ''The English ambassador was present, before the official photo that tried to hide everything I said in defense of our Malvinas cause, the ambassador demanded that I take off the shirt that I am wearing in the photo, otherwise she would not participate in the official photo,'' she assured .
This is the shirt I'm not taking off.
Today, at 12:20 p.m., the parliamentary group between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Argentine Republic was formed in the HCDN.
The English ambassador was present before the… pic.twitter.com/rTN2RorQN4
He also commented that Almirón , Tetaz and Stolbizer "supported the demands of the English ambassador" and concluded: "In honour of our fallen, heroes, veterans of Malvinas and all our compatriots, I have and will always carry in my heart: 'THE MALVINAS ARE ARGENTINE'".
The parliamentary group of friendship with the usurper of Malvinas
The deputy Lisandro Almirón from La Libertad Avanza was appointed to chair the Parliamentary Friendship Group with the United Kingdom . Among those present was María Ibáñez (MID), who said that “it is essential to build on friendship”; while Stolbizer highlighted the work of the Ambassador in the “political-parliamentary” link.
Propato , involved in the controversy and on crutches, declared: “I hope we can resume dialogue and joint work” , as well as the deputy Gabriel Chumpitaz (PRO), who urged “to continue with diplomatic relations between both nations”
Also participating in the meeting were deputies Juan Manuel López (CC), Soledad Carrizo (UCR) and Andrea Freites (UxP).
The meeting took place in the White Room of the Legislative Palace and was attended by the Director of Parliamentary Diplomacy and International Cooperation of the Chamber of Deputies, Luciana Termine; the coordinator of the GPA, Patricia Cardo; and from the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Argentina, Constanza Galli and Lara Manovi.
