Olympics: Argentina ad takes a stab at Britain over Falkland Islands controversy (VIDEO)
Argentine men’s field hockey captain Fernando Zylberberg training for the Olympic Games by running through the Falkland Islands capital of Stanley in a controversial ad released by the Argentine presidency.
Argentina state-run television has broadcast an Olympics ad taking a stab at Britain over the Falkland Islands.
The ad features men's field hockey captain Fernando Zylberberg training for the 2012 Olympic Games in London by running through the islands' capital of Stanley, with a British pub, flag and telephone booth, among other English items, in the background. It finishes by saying, "To compete on English soil, we train on Argentine soil" and says it was released by the Argentine presidency.
The Associated Press reported that unidentified government officials said the ad will run several more times. Alicia Castro — Argentina's ambassador to Britain — said the ad was not created with malice.
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"This is not meant to be a provocation," Castro told the Argentine daily El Tribuno. "Nobody has had the intention to offend."
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it wrote to the Argentine Olympic Committee, according to the AP.
"The Olympic Games should not be a forum to raise political issues and the IOC regrets any attempts to use the spotlight of the games for that end," the IOC said in a statement to the AP.
Argentina and Britain have disagreed over who owns the Falkland Islands since the 19th century, according to the Los Angeles Times. The dispute has been brought back to the forefront of their tense relationship as both countries marked the 30th anniversary of a war over the Falklands that cost hundreds of lives.
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