Buenos Aires has stoked tensions with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands after the British Government announced it was relinquishing sovereignty of the Chagos Islands
Tensions are rising with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, as Buenos Aires accused the UK of acting in an “illegal” and “aggressive” manner.
Concerns over the territories were raised after the Government announced its decision to relinquish sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Last week, Argentina’s foreign minister, Diana Mondino, promised “concrete action” to ensure the Falklands, the British-controlled archipelago Argentina calls the Malvinas and claims as its own, are handed to the country.
However, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is not up for negotiation. He said this week: “My uncle nearly lost his life when his ship was torpedoed defending the Falklands, they are British, and they will remain British. I’ve been very clear about the Falklands, it’s personal to me.”
Sir Keir has previously spoken about his uncle Roger who served in the Falklands on HMS Antelope. In a speech in June this year, he said: “I remember the terrible wait when his ship was bombed. My mum’s fear as she sat by the radio every day, listening for news, and then the relief, a long week later, when we found out he had survived.”
The Falkland Islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Argentina. There are 778 islands in total, with the capital Stanley located on East Falkland with a population of around 3,000 people.
Argentina continues to lay claim to the islands and invaded in 1982, leading to a two-month war. More than 900 people died, including 649 Argentineans and 255 British military personnel.
Falkland Islands residents overwhelmingly voted to maintain the archipelago as a British territory in a referendum held in 2013. Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Ms Mondino agreed to resume flights to the islands, restart negotiations on a humanitarian project plan, and organise a trip for relatives of fallen soldiers to visit war graves.
Leadership of Argentina’s union the General Confederation of Labour (CGT). slammed the UK for its “illegal and imperialist” behaviour. They also claimed historical and legal precedents confirmed Argentina’s sovereignty “without any doubt or hesitation” and emphasised “the illicit usurpation by the British Empire in 1833 does not justify its persistent imperialist attitude.”
