Foreign Ministry condemns Malvinas govt's cruise ban

The National Government condemned a recent decision made by the Malvinas Islands authorities, after they rejected the docking of a cruise with 3,600 passengers on board because more than twenty of them were ill, among them several Argentine tourists. 

The Foreign Ministry said it hopes that the islanders’ decision to ban the ship from docking in Puerto Argentino “is not the nth hostile act aimed at tourists from various nationalities.” 

“The Foreign Ministry hopes that this measure was taken based on strictly objective reasons and is not the nth hostile act aimed at tourists from various nationalities, including Argentine citizens who have the simple desire of getting to know the Malvinas Islands,” a written statement released by the Ministry said.

Titled “Banned again from visiting the Malvinas Islands,” the communiqué explains that “the authorities of the illegitimate and self-proclaimed government of the Malvinas Islands banned tourists, including Argentine citizens, from getting off the cruise due to alleged health concerns.” 

“The ship, which belongs to an American company, had previously complied with all the required sanitations protocols both in Argentina and Chile,” it added.

The Star Princess ship was carrying 3,600 passengers and had departed from Valparaiso, in Chile, last January 7th. It was scheduled to make a stop on the islands during the weekend. 

However, due to bout of gastroenterocholitis detected in twenty passengers, the Malvinas government decided to ban the ship from docking on the islands, saying that the contagious disease could spread the disease over the local population.

The accusations were made by Argentine psychologist Luis Hauser, who was aboard the Star Princess when the incident took place. 

The cruise wad left port in Chile and was heading towards Rio de Janeiro with a previous stop in Buenos Aires.

According to Hauser, the captain seemed “surprised” after the Malvinas government’s rejection, assuring it was “unprecedented” and that it was a “wrong decision” due to the low number of cases.