Falkland Islands are British, Argentina’s leader admits while praising Thatcher as ‘brilliant’
THE FALKLAND Islands are British, Argentina’s leader has dramatically admitted in an interview.
President Javier Milei said the Falklands were “in the hands of the UK” – and Argentina did not “seek conflict”.
In an interview which broke with previous leaders’ past comments, Milei also hailed former PM Margaret Thatcher – Britain’s leader during the 1982 war – as “brilliant”.
Right-winger Milei spoke to the BBC from a presidential palace in which memorabilia of Maggie was apparently on display.
But he did vow to seek a “roadmap” leading to the islands becoming Argentine.
However, President Milei also blasted politicians who “beat their chests demanding sovereignty of the islands, but without any result”.
Argentina invaded the Falklands in April 1982, sparking a conflict which cost 255 British servicemen, 649 Argentinean personnel and three islanders their lives.
President Milei admitted he admired Mrs Thatcher, who ordered the torpedoing of Argentine cruise the General Belgrano during the war which killed all 323 people on board.
He said: “Criticising someone because of their nationality or race is very intellectually precarious. I have heard lots of speeches by Margaret Thatcher. She was brilliant. So what’s the problem?”
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron visited the south-west Atlantic islands – 300 miles from Argentina and 8,000 from the UK – in February and decreed their sovereignty was not up for debate.
President Milei added: “If that territory is now in the hands of the UK, he has a right to do that. I don’t see that as a provocation.”
The remark appears significant as previous leaders have always insisted the islands are Argentine.
President Milei said he wanted the Falklands to become Argentine “within the framework of peace”.
He added: “We are not going to relinquish our sovereignty, nor are we going to seek conflict with the United Kingdom.
“They might not want to negotiated today. At some later point they might want to. Many positions have changed over time.”
Previous Argentine leader, left-winger Alberto Fernandez called the islands “stolen land”.
Britain established a dependency in the Falklands in 1834.
Locals lived in peace until the shock Argentine invasion in April 1982.
The UK sent troops across the world in a huge mobilisation, and forced Argentine forces from the islands in a 10-week war.
The territory is now under British protection.
An internationally-recognised referendum in 2013 saw 99.8 per cent of voters opt to keep the Falklands a British overseas territory.
