Argentina’s leaders have traditionally refused to accept that the Falkland Islands are under British control, let alone that they belong to Britain.
A right-wing politician who came to power in Argentina at the end of 2023 Javier Milei has shaken with his statements related to Britain.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation Milei says she admires the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and further admits that the Falkland Islands are now “in British hands”.
In 1982, Britain and Argentina fought a two-month war over control of the Falkland Islands after the Argentine military government tried to seize the British-held islands for themselves.
Thatcher is not a particularly well-liked person in Argentina, as she was British Prime Minister during the Falklands War. Among other things, Thatcher gave the order to torpedo the flagship of the Argentine Navy, the ARA General Belgrano. 323 Argentine soldiers were killed in the attack.
Three civilians, 255 British soldiers and 649 Argentine soldiers were killed in the war.
Argentina calls the Falkland Islands the Malvinas Islands and considers them to be part of Argentina.
Milei’s line differs from previous Argentine leaders
Argentina’s leaders have traditionally refused to accept that the Falkland Islands are under British control, let alone that they belong to Britain.
However, Milei, who describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist and has pursued hard right-wing politics, seems to have a conciliatory position on the matter.
He says in an interview with the BBC that although the islands are now under British control, Argentina’s long-term goal is to return them as part of itself.
– We are not going to give up our sovereignty (regarding the islands), but we also don’t want a conflict with Britain, Milei told the BBC.
He believes that the matter will eventually be resolved through negotiations. At the same time, Milei criticizes politicians whose demands for the return of the Falkland Islands have been “fruitless self-indulgence”.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron visited the islands in February and stated that their situation would not be negotiated.
– If the islands are now in Britain’s hands, he has the right to say this. I don’t see it as a provocation, Milei commented on Cameron’s statements.