Annobon, the African island that wants independence... or to be part of Argentina

"No one around him knows who he is, where he comes from, or what he went through to get there. Just a month ago, Cartagena led the celebrations at the Circulo de Bellas Artes cultural center for the third anniversary of the Republic of Annobon, a small island of 6.5 square miles and about 5,000 inhabitants, whose declaration of independence from Equatorial Guinea has yet to be recognized by any country."

"Last May, interest in Annobon skyrocketed across the Atlantic and became a trending topic 4,660 miles away, in Argentina. Cartagena and a delegation from Ambo Legadu, the movement that declared independence, toured the South American country in March and raised the possibility of the island becoming part of Argentine territory. We can be part of an Argentine province or an associated state, he told a local radio station."

"The comment appealed to a shared past. At the end of the 18th century, Portugal ceded this and other African territories to Spain, which administratively assigned them to the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata, in the present-day territory of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. These are formulas that we could negotiate with the Argentine government at some point, Cartagena comments, although he clarifies that the priority is to seek diplomatic recognition. We have to be free before deciding, he concludes."

Orlando Cartagena, 59, identifies as prime minister of Annobon and led third‑anniversary celebrations at the Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid. Annobon is a 6.5‑square‑mile island with about 5,000 inhabitants whose 2022 declaration of independence from Equatorial Guinea remains unrecognized. Cartagena represents Ambo Legadu, the movement that declared independence, and has campaigned internationally to seek diplomatic recognition. A March tour of Argentina raised the possibility of the island joining an Argentine province or becoming an associated state, appealing to historical administrative links to the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. Cartagena emphasizes that diplomatic recognition and freedom are priorities before any negotiations over political association.

Read at english.elpais.com