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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaJavier Milei: Argentine leader’s insults trigger diplomats’ expulsionPublished40 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, President Milei is famous for his abrasive styleBy Vanessa BuschschlüterBBC NewsColombia is expelling a number of Argentine diplomats in response to insults levelled by the Argentine president against his Colombian counterpart. In a CNN interview, the Argentine leader, Javier Milei, called Colombian President Gustavo Petro a “murdering terrorist”.He also said the Mexican president was “ignorant”.Mr Milei is infamous for his colourful language and abrasive rhetoric.While personal attacks are not uncommon in Latin American politics, Mr Milei surprised many when he attacked Pope Francis last year, calling the pontiff “an imbecile who defends social justice”.While the Pope dismissed the remarks and the two men embraced during a meeting at the Vatican, Latin American politicians have not been as forgiving.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Pope Francis laughed off Mr Milei’s commentsThe CNN interview which has caused the latest stir will be broadcast on Sunday, but the channel has released some clips ahead of transmission. In one of them, Mr Milei suggests that Colombia under left-wing President Petro could deteriorate and come to resemble Venezuela and Cuba.”In Venezuela, there’s carnage, it’s truly unprecedented, same as on that prison island, Cuba,” he tells CNN’s Andrés Oppenheimer. “And there are others who’re going down that road, such as Colombia with Mr Petro,” he adds. “Well, you can’t expect much from someone who was a murdering terrorist, right?” he asks in an apparent reference to Mr Petro’s past as a former rebel fighter. Mr Petro was a member of the now disbanded M-19 guerrilla group in the 1980s. As part of its war against the Colombian state, the group stormed the Palace of Justice in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, in 1985, and held more than 300 people hostage.The security forces lay siege to the building and more than 100 people died in the ensuing battle to retake it from the M-19. The incident is known as “28 hours of terror” in Colombia. But while Mr Petro was a member of the M-19 guerrilla group, he did not take part in the attack on the Palace of Justice. He was in jail at the time for his involvement with the group. Image source, ReutersImage caption, President Petro and his Argentine counterpart are poles apart politically and have clashed in the pastMr Petro has never made a secret out of his past inside the M-19, which demobilised more than 30 years ago. As Colombia’s first left-wing president, he has come in for plenty of criticism at home, but there has been widespread outrage in the Andean country over the comments made by Mr Milei. The foreign ministry said Mr Milei had offended President Petro’s “dignity” and said it would expel a number of Argentine diplomats, without specifying how many.In Mexico, the two candidates vying to replace President Andrés Manuel López Obrador as president in the election in June also came to his defence.They demanded that the Argentine leader treat Mr López Obrador with respect after Mr Milei said in the CNN interview that the fact that the “ignorant” Mexican president had spoken badly of him only flattered him.Mr López Obrador has in the past labelled Mr Milei “a fascist ultra-conservative”. Related TopicsArgentinaAndres Manuel Lopez ObradorDiplomacyMexicoColombiaMore on this storyPope and Milei meet as Argentina gains first female saintPublished11 FebruaryArgentina pulls out of plans to join Brics blocPublished29 December 2023New leader tells Argentina ‘shock treatment’ loomsPublished11 December 2023Top StoriesGaza starvation could amount to war crime, UN human rights chief tells BBCPublished5 hours agoKing tells of ‘great sadness’ at missing Maundy servicePublished1 hour agoDivers recover bodies from Baltimore bridgePublished2 hours agoFeaturesHow do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?I’m not ashamed of who I am any more, says LionessCars, coal and gas… key cargo at Baltimore portFather of two among Baltimore bridge victimsWhat are assisted dying, assisted suicide and euthanasia?Tackling deepfakes ‘has turned into an arms race’‘We crowdfunded to help pay our son’s care costs’Why is Thames Water in so much trouble?Bill Nighy on playing an England manager with a differenceElsewhere on the BBCDid The Terminator predict the future correctly?!Beth Singler explores the creation and enduring influence of the film, 40 years after its releaseAttributionSoundsBlowing the lid on a baffling online scamPolly Weston’s determined to get to the bottom of the con involving a £138 dehumidifierAttributionSoundsCan you sort these monarchs into the correct order?Test your memory and reorder ten royal faces, from the earliest to the most recentAttributionBitesizeThe dressing room killing that shook wrestling’Villain of the ring’ Bruiser Brody’s extraordinary life, legacy and deathAttributionSoundsMost Read1Man held over stabbing in front of train passengers2Actress Helen Flanagan reveals psychosis episode3Tributes paid to Gogglebox star after fall death4Harvard removes human skin binding from book5King’s ‘great sadness’ at missing Maundy service6I’m not ashamed of who I am any more, says Lioness7Thames Water boss says bills need to rise by 40%8Divers recover bodies from Baltimore bridge9Angela Rayner insists she has done nothing wrong10Gaza starvation could amount to war crime, UN human rights chief tells BBC
[ad_1] President Javier Milei calls his Colombian counterpart a “murdering terrorist”, triggering diplomatic expulsions.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureThe ‘banned’ Star Trek episode that promised a united IrelandPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsThe TroublesImage source, ParamountImage caption, Android character Data describes the “Irish unification of 2024” as a successful example of violence used to achieve political aimsBy Michael Sheils McNameeBBC NewsWhen sci-fi writer Melinda M Snodgrass sat down to write Star Trek episode The High Ground, she had little idea of the unexpected ripples of controversy it would still be making more than three decades later. “We became aware of it later… and there isn’t much you can do about it,” she says, speaking to the BBC from her home in New Mexico. “Writing for television is like laying track for a train that’s about 300 feet behind you. You really don’t have time to stop.” While the series has legions of followers steeped in its lore, that one particular episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation has lived long and prospered in infamy.It comes down to a scene in which the android character Data, played by actor Brent Spiner, talks about the “Irish unification of 2024” as an example of violence successfully achieving a political aim. Originally shown in the US in 1990, there was so much concern over the exchange that the episode was not broadcast on the BBC or Irish public broadcaster RTÉ. At the time, US TV shows often debuted internationally several years after their original broadcast. Satellite broadcaster Sky reportedly aired an edited version in 1992, cutting the crucial scene. But The High Ground was not shown by the BBC until 02:39 GMT, 29 September 2007 – and BBC Archives says it is confident this is its only transmission. Michelle O’Neill makes history as NI first ministerIs Sinn Féin’s election success a turning point?The decision not to air the episode reflects a time when a bloody conflict continued to rage in Northern Ireland, with the Provisional IRA – a paramilitary group with the stated aim of ending British rule in Northern Ireland – one of its main protagonists. Now it is 2024 – and Sinn Féin, which emerged as the political wing of the IRA, is the largest party in the devolved Stormont assembly.The party’s leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, became first minister last month and has predicted a referendum on Irish unity within a decade.She strikes a very different tone to Sir Keir Starmer, favourite to be the UK’s next prime minister, who has said such a poll is “not even on the horizon”.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Michelle O’Neill became Northern Ireland’s first minister last month, the first time a Irish nationalist politician has held that roleOn social media, people have been sharing screenshots of Data’s prediction and drawing links to Sinn Féin’s electoral success.Back when Ms Snodgrass was writing the script, she did not think it would cause any problems. “Science fiction is incredibly important because it allows people to discuss difficult topics – but at arm’s length,” she says.In the episode, Data’s line does not come out of the blue.The High Ground is based on the theme of terrorism, after the Starship Enterprise’s chief medical officer Dr Beverly Crusher is abducted by the separatist Ansata group, who use murder and violence to pursue their aim of independence. “I’ve been reviewing the history of armed rebellion, and it appears that terrorism is an effective way to promote political change,” says Data.”Yes it can be,” responds Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, “but I have never subscribed to the theory that political power flows from the barrel of a gun.””Yet there are numerous examples of when it was successful,” Data says. “The independence of the Mexican state from Spain, the Irish unification of 2024, and the Kenzie rebellion.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Star Trek: The Next Generation featured Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, in what has become one of his most iconic roles”I’m aware of them,” says Picard, to which Data asks: “Would it then be accurate to say that terrorism is acceptable when all options for peaceful settlement have been foreclosed?””Data, these are questions that mankind has been struggling with throughout history. Your confusion is only human.”The story has parallels with the situation in Northern Ireland at the time – something Ms Snodgrass says was deliberate. “I was a history major before I went to law school and I wanted to get into that; discuss the fact that one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist,” she says.”I mean, these are complicated issues. And when do people feel like their back is so much against the wall that they have no choice but to turn to violence? And is that actually ever justified?”I think what I wanted to say was: if we’re talking and not shooting, we’re in a better place.”Image caption, Melinda M Snodgrass says science fiction provides a way of examining current issues through a different lensIn 1992, when the episode was due to air in the UK, the IRA ceasefire of 1994 and 1998 Good Friday Agreement were still years away.In April of that year, the Baltic Exchange bombing carried out by the IRA in the heart of London’s financial centre killed three people, and injured more than 90.Such was the atmosphere from 1988 to 1994, a ban was enforced on broadcasting the voices of members of certain groups from Northern Ireland on television and radio. Restrictions were seen as specifically targeting Sinn Féin. It resulted in the bizarre situation where prominent politicians including Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams had their voices dubbed by actors (Mr Adams, famously, was voiced at times by Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea). Reflecting on the Star Trek episode, Prof Robert Savage of Boston College says: “It was amazing it was censored.”His latest book – Northern Ireland, the BBC, and Censorship in Thatcher’s Britain – covers the period when the episode was pulled. “The argument I think the robot [Data] asks you is basically just: does terrorism work? If there are no alternatives, if you’ve tried every other avenue to try to affect change, is it acceptable? To use terrorism?”And it’s a very human question. But [Jean-Luc Picard] doesn’t answer the question! That would have unsettled somebody like Thatcher,” Prof Savage adds.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, The roots of Northern Ireland’s Troubles lie deep in Irish historyThere is some murkiness about how a decision was reached not to broadcast the programme at the time. BBC Archives confirmed the 2007 broadcast of the episode and was “satisfied” any other screening would have been listed.The BBC’s press office said it had spoken to “a number of people” about why a ban may have been implemented, but was unable to get this information “as it dates quite far back”.A spokesman for Sky said he had looked into it, but could not confirm it had broadcast an edited version of the episode in 1992 – or what its reasoning might have been for doing so.RTÉ noted that TV guides from the time show it had broadcast Star Trek: The Next Generation, but did not have further information in its acquisitions system, and could not find anyone from the time to speak to. “I think this would probably have stirred a memory if I had been made aware of this at the time, but I am afraid it rings no bells at all,” said Lord John Birt, who was director general of the BBC from 1992 to 2000, and before this served as deputy director general. If the episode had been removed, it would probably have been a decision made at operational level in Network Television, he said.More than three decades on, the picture in Northern Ireland has changed. Ms Snodgrass says she was “thrilled” when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, adding it had allowed Northern Ireland to prosper. She notes Games of Thrones, a television series based on books by George RR Martin (who she knows well and has co-authored work with) was filmed in the region in recent years – something which has given a big boost to the economy. “[At the time] 2024 seemed a long way away. I probably should have made it, you know, 2224! I just pulled that number and it didn’t occur to me that suddenly we would be here.”Related TopicsSinn FéinNorthern IrelandThe TroublesStar TrekMore on this storyHow am-dram sent Sir Patrick Stewart to the starsPublished7 October 2023Star Trek predicts a united IrelandPublished14 April 2007Michelle O’Neill makes history as NI first ministerPublished3 FebruaryTop StoriesGaza receives first airdrop of US humanitarian aidPublished8 hours agoGazans crowdfund thousands for uncertain escapePublished4 hours agoRaye makes history by winning six Brit AwardsPublished3 hours agoFeaturesBrits red carpet: Black dresses, pops of neon and a giraffeThe Papers: Hunt aims to cut tax or risks ‘losing grey vote’How Israel-Gaza war is spilling into cultural life’There was heartache but we had to keep going’Kate, the King and three other big challenges for royalsFive ways to save on train tickets as fares riseThe ‘banned’ Star Trek episode that promised a united Ireland’King of Chaos’ Imran Khan keeps winning even behind barsCan green ‘super powders’ really make you healthy?Elsewhere on the BBCFrom the seizure of Crimea to the war in UkraineThe story of a decade of clashes, told by the Western leaders who traded blows with PutinAttributioniPlayerFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayer’I never tried to be famous…it was accidental’Michael Parkinson with guests Ricky Gervais, Michael Palin and Kate AdieAttributioniPlayerIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Nadiya Hussain: A letter to my teenage daughter2The ‘banned’ Star Trek episode that promised a united Ireland3Hunt aims to cut tax or risks ‘losing grey vote’4Raye makes history by winning six Brit Awards5Russia publishes German army meeting on Ukraine6Gazans crowdfund thousands for uncertain escape7Brits red carpet: Black dresses, pops of neon and a giraffe8AI and drones in £800m Budget technology package9’There was heartache but we had to keep going’10Kate, the King and three other big challenges for royals](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/118D0/production/_132788817_tng_160_irish_unification_1.jpg)
