4 May 2012

Argentine PR coup uses Olympics to irk Britons

9:43 pm on 4 May 2012

Officials on the Falkland Islands have criticised the Argentine government for broadcasting a political advert filmed on the islands without authorisation.

It features an Argentine athlete training in the Falklands - which Argentina claims - ahead of the London Olympics in July.

Argentinian officials were accused of pulling a "stunt" by showing Argentine hockey captain Fernando Zylberberg running and exercising in the Falklands capital Port Stanley ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.

The advert, which was broadcast in Argentina on Wednesday night, is titled Olympic Games 2012: Homage to the Fallen and the Veterans of the Malvinas.

It ends with the slogan: "To compete on English soil, we train on Argentine soil."

Wednesday was the 30th anniversary of the sinking of Argentine ship the General Belgrano by British forces.

Falklands legislator Ian Hansen said the video had been filmed without permission and dismissed it as a piece of "cheap and disrespectful propaganda".