Former soldiers lift roadblock after meeting with Randazzo

Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo met with a group of former soldiers who were active during the Malvinas war after they decided to lift the roadblock they had set on 9 de Julio Av., demanding that to be recognized as war veterans by the government.

The meeting took place only hours after Randazzo stressed that their demands to be formally acknowledged as War Veterans was “absolutely inappropriate.”

Randazzo explained that the Government will not benefit them with a veteran’s pension since even though they were active and deployed around the country during the conflict with Great Britain in 1982, they never set foot on the Malvinas Islands.

After meeting with the protesters, Randazzo offered a press conference in which he said that they had promised to “lift the roadblock,” while the Government assured “other matters would be discussed with them.”

The minister admitted that they will not be benefitted with a pension because the Government doesn’t believe they qualify as war veterans.

At the same time, Randazzo pointed out that the former soldier’s demands are somewhat related to a new bill that contemplates provisional benefits for those who were deployed in the main land during the conflict.

The former soldiers were gathered at the corners of 1 de Mayo and 9 de Julio Avenues, and were being closely watched by Federal Police and Gendarmerie officials in case they attempted to set another roadblock, shutting down traffic during rush hour.

Also, a spokesman for the former soldiers, Osvaldo Arrambide, confirmed the meeting with Florencio Randazzo, who had stated that “granting them with War Veteran benefits would be a slap in the face to those who really served on the islands.”

The minister believes that the protesters were only being active in the military in 1982, but are not War Veteras since they were never deployed to the islands.