London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 03, 2025

Argentina criticises UK refusal to talk about future of Falklands

Argentina criticises UK refusal to talk about future of Falklands

Foreign minister calls for improvement in bilateral relations 40 years after conflict
British-Argentine relations will be stifled so long as the UK refuses to engage in discussions about the future sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, or if both sides continue to act as if the war happened only yesterday, the Argentine foreign minister has said.

Writing in the Guardian on the 40th anniversary of the Argentine invasion of the islands in April 1982, Santiago Cafiero called for an improvement in bilateral relations.

In an important statement of the Argentine coalition government’s thinking on the islands, he said the UK’s treatment of Argentina at times resembled that handed out to a country in breach of basic human rights norms rather than a nation that has been a democracy for 40 years.

He writes: “We believe that no outcome of any war can resolve a dispute recognised by the international community. This would set a dangerous precedent. The 1982 conflict did not alter the nature of the dispute between both countries, which is still pending negotiation and resolution.”

The foreign secretary also points out that before the Argentine dictatorship’s surprise invasion, there had for 16 years been negotiations over the substance of the sovereignty of the islands that took into account the interests of the islands’ inhabitants.

Pretending that the dispute does not exist or that it does not create obstacles in our bilateral relationship is “naive”, he says.

He insists “the two governments share fundamental values and a vision of a rules-based world order. And yet, in the South Atlantic agenda, we behave as if the conflict had taken place just yesterday.”

The Argentine invasion caught Whitehall and British intelligence wholly by surprise, leading to a panicked and finely balanced debate within the cabinet about the feasibility of sending a taskforce to free the islands, which the Argentine junta thought Margaret Thatcher did not have the resources, resolve and diplomatic support to do.

Contemporary Argentina is a threat to no one, the foreign minister writes, and points out that the pursuit of the historical sovereignty claim in the national constitution is conditional on it being pursued peacefully.

“Despite this, the UK maintains a major military base in the South Atlantic, carries out periodic military exercises in the disputed area and maintains restrictions on the sale of dual-use military materials to Argentina,” he writes. He says that these kind of restrictions are reserved usually for countries responsible for serious human rights violations, and finds it “incomprehensible” that such treatment is given to Argentina.

He says his government has presented proposals that would be beneficial, such as the re-establishment of regular flights between the Falklands and Argentina. “More flights mean more trade, more tourism and more dialogue, as we have had in the past,” he says, but so far there has been no clear response from the UK to a request to reopen flights.

He also points to the great progress by veterans, islanders and the International Committee of the Red Cross to help painstakingly identify the bodies of most of the unknown Argentine soldiers who fell during the UK forces’ retaking of the islands.

“We have also made great progress over the last 40 years in humanitarian matters. We were able to identify the remains of more than 120 Argentine ex-combatants and provide an answer to their families, after so many years of uncertainty.”

A third excavation is planned with the help of the Commission of Relatives of the Fallen in the Malvinas and South Atlantic Islands.

The Argentine invasion, greeted initially with patriotic fervour and politically beneficial to the dictatorship, led ultimately to the collapse of Gen Galtieri’s regime as the death toll mounted and the lack of training of a working-class conscript army became apparent.

In total, 649 Argentinian soldiers, 255 British servicemen and three Falkland Islanders died in the conflict. The Malvinas veterans, initially ignored, now have more status, with 2 April a day of memorial.

Ever since the defeat, Argentina has pursued various diplomatic initiatives, including the combative one led by the then president, Néstor Kirchner, from 2003 and then from 2007 by his wife, Cristina. Those 13 years included non co-operation over hydrocarbons and a ban on ships entering Argentine ports flying the Falklands Islands flag.

A plebiscite on the islands conducted in 2013 revealed a 99.8% desire to remain British, and has been the cornerstone of the UK’s diplomatic stance ever since.

In 2016, Argentina reverted to a more conciliatory approach led by the government of Mauricio Macri, but the centre-right former mayor of Buenos Aires fell from power in 2019 after he failed to deliver economic prosperity.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
×