In a nationally televised address, Milei opened with an unequivocal assertion of sovereignty over the islands, known in Argentina as Las Malvinas.
“The Falklands are Argentinian. Historically and legally. There can be no argument. They are part of the Argentine territory,” Milei said.
He accused Britain of ignoring United Nations calls for Argentina and the United Kingdom to refrain from unilateral measures involving the islands while their sovereignty dispute remains unresolved.
“For more than 50 years, the United Nations have been calling Argentina and the United Kingdom not to undertake unilateral actions on the territory of the islands until the dispute is resolved, including the use of its national resources,” he said.
“However, the United Kingdom has systematically failed to heed that call.”
Much of Milei’s warning centred on the Sea Lion oil project, located about 136 miles north of the Falklands. Israeli company Navitas Petroleum holds a 65 per cent interest in the development, while Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration owns the remaining 35 per cent.
The field is estimated to contain resources equivalent to roughly 900 million barrels of oil. Under existing arrangements, the Falkland Islands Government stands to receive a nine per cent royalty on revenues as well as corporation tax on profits.
With drilling expected to begin within months, Milei described the project as a direct challenge to Argentina’s territorial claim.
“If we do not act swiftly in a few months, they will have the material capacity to access the oil that lies underneath our sea,” he said. “Our national claim is facing a clear and present danger, and requires a proportional response. We will not allow it.”
Milei announced sanctions targeting companies involved in petroleum operations conducted under British administration around the islands and said he would accelerate a decree needed to implement the measures.
He also rejected the Falkland Islanders’ claim to self-determination, describing the islanders as living on territory that had been “usurped” from Argentina.
That position stands in stark contrast to the result of the Falklands’ 2013 sovereignty referendum. Of those voting, 1,513 supported retaining the islands’ status as a British Overseas Territory, while only three voted against, with turnout exceeding 90 per cent.
Milei also announced plans for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego and claimed the United States was “assessing their historical position in regard to the Falklands”.
“Our role and relevance as a country in the world has changed dramatically,” he said, before declaring: “The Falklands are our future – we need to recover these islands which are nationally relevant. There is no other path forward.”
The comments follow reported remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting Washington was reviewing its position on the sovereignty dispute and raising questions over the extent of future American support for Britain.
Britain has administered the Falkland Islands since 1833, while Argentina maintains sovereignty over the archipelago. The dispute erupted into war in 1982 when Argentina’s military junta invaded the islands. British forces recaptured them following a 74-day conflict in which 649 Argentine military personnel were killed.
Daily Telegraph New Zealand (DTNZ) is an independent news website, first published in October 2021. - where this article was sourced.
He accused Britain of ignoring United Nations calls for Argentina and the United Kingdom to refrain from unilateral measures involving the islands while their sovereignty dispute remains unresolved.
“For more than 50 years, the United Nations have been calling Argentina and the United Kingdom not to undertake unilateral actions on the territory of the islands until the dispute is resolved, including the use of its national resources,” he said.
“However, the United Kingdom has systematically failed to heed that call.”
Much of Milei’s warning centred on the Sea Lion oil project, located about 136 miles north of the Falklands. Israeli company Navitas Petroleum holds a 65 per cent interest in the development, while Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration owns the remaining 35 per cent.
The field is estimated to contain resources equivalent to roughly 900 million barrels of oil. Under existing arrangements, the Falkland Islands Government stands to receive a nine per cent royalty on revenues as well as corporation tax on profits.
With drilling expected to begin within months, Milei described the project as a direct challenge to Argentina’s territorial claim.
“If we do not act swiftly in a few months, they will have the material capacity to access the oil that lies underneath our sea,” he said. “Our national claim is facing a clear and present danger, and requires a proportional response. We will not allow it.”
Milei announced sanctions targeting companies involved in petroleum operations conducted under British administration around the islands and said he would accelerate a decree needed to implement the measures.
He also rejected the Falkland Islanders’ claim to self-determination, describing the islanders as living on territory that had been “usurped” from Argentina.
That position stands in stark contrast to the result of the Falklands’ 2013 sovereignty referendum. Of those voting, 1,513 supported retaining the islands’ status as a British Overseas Territory, while only three voted against, with turnout exceeding 90 per cent.
Milei also announced plans for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego and claimed the United States was “assessing their historical position in regard to the Falklands”.
“Our role and relevance as a country in the world has changed dramatically,” he said, before declaring: “The Falklands are our future – we need to recover these islands which are nationally relevant. There is no other path forward.”
The comments follow reported remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting Washington was reviewing its position on the sovereignty dispute and raising questions over the extent of future American support for Britain.
Britain has administered the Falkland Islands since 1833, while Argentina maintains sovereignty over the archipelago. The dispute erupted into war in 1982 when Argentina’s military junta invaded the islands. British forces recaptured them following a 74-day conflict in which 649 Argentine military personnel were killed.
Daily Telegraph New Zealand (DTNZ) is an independent news website, first published in October 2021. - where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
As a member of Rear Admiral David Brown's staff in 1982, I suspect the old man would turn in his grave or maybe not? Thinking about it, he would probably shrug his shoulders at the shear ineptness of the current UK Govt and like most of us involved at the time. I'd love to be a fly on the wall of the current ACDS (Ops) Major General Daniel Reeve and see just how they plan to defend the Islands with 4/5ths of beggar all resources.
Here we go again. A populist leader whose election promises are turning to custard starts diverting the attention of his support base from his problems at home to a manufactured foreign adversory. Doesn't this sound strangely familiar?
From time to time, when things get tough on the domestic front, Argentina's govt, be it elected or a military jackboot farce usually backed by the USA in the good old days of murder and tossing opponents out of planes, rants about the Falklands as a diversion.
The rant goes that the territory is Argentina's, which is well disputed. The next rant is that the British are colonisers and should go home. OK....mmm...Argentina's population is made up of white colonisers, born there or not, who are merely latter -day colonisers who have benefitted from the original Spanish colonisation and the gradual extermination through marriage or traditional means (killing) of any ''indigenous'' natives. Applying the Argy reasoning perhaps the white legacy colonisers should pack up and go ''home'' to Europe, a country of their choice depending on their ancestry. Being born in Argentina does not exempt them from being colonisers and coloniser beneficiaries under their reasoning.
But no, like the whites here who say colonisation was unjustified etc they will stay put, arguing it wasn't me .
Same as those of us like me who think colonisation here was not all bad.
I recall and Irish woman on Kerre's talkback about 24 years ago going on about the British in the Falklands and how they should go home. The venom was hard to make out in the accent but it never dawned on her that she is a latter-day coloniser here and should go home herself, something someone pointed out.
Argentina is interesting. I have travelled there three times as part of wider SA visits. It wants to be part of Europe really and was wealthy before foot and mouth hit early last century. But it cannot shake off the disease of corruption and jingoism. I have me many pleasant Argentinians and others who frankly are arrogrant pratts and it helps explain the disdain towards that country by people in neighbouring countries who feel looked down on as inferior. I prefer Paraguay despite its many historical issues, Chile or Uruguay.
Google Venezuela Aves Islands and look at a map, if interested in well-offshore islands.
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