Sebastián Socodo, who is responsible for the cemetery’s upkeep, said families
were notified of the attack on Tuesday, but that it was not clear when it
occurred or who the perpetrators were.
Police in the Falklands have already begun an investigation.
Images of the damage show the glass was broken by more than a dozen sharp
blows. The Virgin figure, whose blue and white garments are the only
expression of Argentine pride permitted in the islands, has been removed to
protect it from the elements until the shrine can be repaired.
The cemetery, located on East Falkland, is enclosed by a wall and names the
649 Argentine soldiers who lost their lives during the 74-day conflict.
Tensions between Britain and Argentina over the disputed archipelago rose in
the build-up to the 30th anniversary of the conflict.
Cristina Kirchner, the Argentine president, took her country’s claim to the UN
and accused Britain of “militarising the South Atlantic”.
Her government also sought to politicise the Olympic Games by broadcasting an
advertisement that showed an Argentine hockey player training for the London
Games in the Falklands, where he was filmed exercising on a British First
World War memorial.
The Government says it respects the islanders’ right to self-determination and
will not negotiate sovereignty.
Last week, Argentina condemned missile exercises carried out by the British
military close to the Falklands.
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