Buenos Aires, (EFE). – Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Malvinas in Argentina) on the 43rd anniversary of the 1982 Falklands War, declaring that his government seeks to make Argentina so strong that the islanders, themselves, will choose to become Argentine.
“We hope that one the Malvinas residents will vote with their feet and choose us,” Milei said during a nationally broadcast speech in Buenos Aires.
“That is why we aim to become a great power so that they prefer to be Argentine without needing persuasion or coercion.”
Milei’s remarks come as Argentina commemorated Malvinas Day, officially Day of the Veterans and Fallen of the Malvinas War, a national holiday established in 2000 to honor the 649 Argentina soldiers who died in the 74-day war against the United Kingdom.
The conflict, initiated by Argentina’s military dictatorship, ended in British victory, with the islands remaining under UK control since 1833.
Diplomatic and political divisions
Milei reiterated Argentina’s “non-negotiable” claim over the islands and promised to exhaust all diplomatic resources to return them to Argentine hands.
He also criticized past administrations, blaming their “corruption” for the failure to advance Argentina’s sovereignty claim.
His speech, delivered at a ceremony in Plaza San Martín, was attended by key members of his government, including Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, Defense Minister Luis Petri, and Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri.
Veterans push back against Milei’s approach
Juan Carlos Parodi, president of the Malvinas War Veterans’ Center in Ushuaia, rejected the idea that the islanders’ opinion should determine the islands’ sovereignty.
“The President spoke of listening to the Falkland Islanders, something close to the principle of self-determination, but that does not apply here,” Parodi said, receiving applause from fellow veterans. “They are not an indigenous people, we all know that.”
Parodi also questioned Milei’s ability to overturn decades of diplomatic setbacks, noting that the President has praised former leader Carlos Menem, who re-established relations with the UK in the 1990s through the controversial Madrid Agreements.
Many veterans view these agreements as a betrayal of Argentina’s sovereignty claim.
47 years of dispute over the Falkland Islands
The Falklands War, which began on Apr. 2, 1982, was launched by Argentina’s ruling military junta as an attempt to reclaim the islands.
The UK, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, responded with a military task force that defeated Argentina by Jun. 14, 1982.
Since then, Argentina has maintained its claim, through the Falkland Islands’ 2013 referendum showed that 99.8% of islanders wish to remain a British Overseas Territory.
The UK government insists that the islanders’ wishes must be respected, while Argentina argues that British control is colonial rule.
Milei also signed a new decree, that recognizes former Malvinas reservists as official lieutenants, an act he described as “settling a debt with these heroes.”
During the Malvinas War (1982), 649 Argentine soldiers died, 323 of them as a result of the sinking of the cruiser ARA General Belgrano caused by a British submarine. EFE
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