Argentina mocks British in ‘disgraceful’ Olympic ad about Falklands War
British officials are angry with Argentina's president for an advertisement that shows an athlete training for the Olympics on a war memorial in the Falkland Islands. The South American nation is accused of exploiting the upcoming Summer Games for political purposes.
The ad, filmed in secret and produced by the office of President Cristina Kirchner, features hockey player Fernando Zylberberg running through the Falklands capital of Stanley. He does sit-ups near British pubs and climbs the island's Great War Memorial like it's the Rocky steps. That structure honors the 255 British troops who died during the 1982 Argentine invasion.
A tagline refers to the Falklands by their Argentina name -- Malvinas -- and says "To compete on English soil, we are training on Argentine soil."
"It is disgraceful," Derek Cole, head of the Falklands Veterans Foundation, told The Sun. "The athlete is on a war memorial. They are dancing on our servicemen's graves."
A brief history lesson on the Falklands, if you're not familiar: They're an archipelago 250 miles from mainland South America and have been under British rule since 1833. Argentina maintained its claim on the islands and invaded in 1982 to bring them under its rule. Britain won the two-month war, which resulted in the deaths of 649 Argentine and 255 British troops.
The advertisement aired on Argentine television during the 30th anniversary of the conflict.
