Argentina Complains to Britain over Foreign Office´s Travel Warning

Argentina officially complained to Britain about a Foreign Office warning to British tourists about the dangers of visiting Argentina at the time of the Summit of the Americas.

But even as Argentine ambassador to London Federico Mirré admitted “disagreement” between the two countries he also tried to play down the situation.

The incident was sparked earlier in the week when the Foreign Office published a warning on its website about visiting Argentina between November three and six, when the summit will be held in Mar del Plata.

The warning is issued to make British travelers aware about the “risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks against civilian objectives, including places frequented by foreigners.” It goes on to recommend travelers in Argentina “be alert and take precautions.” But it specifies that “most tourists who visit Argentina are free of any danger.”

To fundament the warning, a mention is made of a number of bombs that went off in 2004 and 2005 in US-owned banks and shops in Buenos Aires City and its suburbs. The warning also mentions a “low intensity explosion” on October 12 at a branch of HSBC bank in Mar del Plata.