Argentina has renewed its claim to the Falkland Islands, with vice-president Victoria Villarruel telling residents they should “go back to England” if they feel British, amid an intensifying sovereignty dispute
Falklanders should return to England, Argentina’s vice-president declared after Buenos Aires revived its claim to the British overseas territory.
Argentina’s assertion over what it terms the Malvinas received a boost when Donald Trump threatened to reassess the official US stance on the islands following Britain’s refusal to join his conflict with Iran. Javier Milei, Argentina’s president and a staunch Trump ally, declared last week that “the Malvinas were, are and will always be Argentine”.
Victoria Villarruel, Mr Milei’s deputy, posted on social media on Monday: “Today, more than ever, the Malvinas are Argentine. The debate over the sovereignty of our islands is between states, therefore the United Kingdom must discuss bilaterally with Argentina the claim that we maintain for legal, historical and geographical reasons.
“The Kelpers are English people who live in Argentine territory; they are not part of the discussion. If they feel English, they should go back to the thousands of miles away where their country is.”
The term “Kelpers” given to the inhabitants refers to the abundant seaweed encircling the islands.
Argentina appealed for fresh discussions over the future of the Falklands after the US hinted it might back its sovereignty claims.
Pablo Quirno, the Argentine foreign minister, has demanded an end to British “colonialism” and fresh bilateral negotiations to secure a “peaceful and definitive solution”.
The Falklands government condemned the Trump administration after leaked Pentagon Emails indicated that the US stance on the islands was being reassessed.
It stated that 99.8 per cent of Falklanders had backed the islands remaining a British Overseas Territory in a self-determination referendum in 2013. Argentina regards the ballot as fraudulent, and has previously alleged the UK of planting voters.
“The Falkland Islands has complete confidence in the commitment made by the UK Government to uphold and defend our right of self-determination,” the Falklands government added.
Sir Keir Starmer also struck back at the Trump administration shortly after the emails were revealed, while veterans branded Mr Trump as engaging in “bullying”.
Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, declared that Britain’s dedication to the Falklands was “unwavering”.
Following Mr Milei’s remarks, she continued: “The Falkland Islands are British – sovereignty rests with the UK, self-determination rests with the islanders. We could not be clearer about the UK’s position on the Falkland Islands. It’s long-standing. It’s unchanged.”
At the weekend, it emerged that Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, will travel to Argentina in the autumn to tell Mr Milei that keeping the Falklands British is “non-negotiable”.
The 1982 Falklands War claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 649 Argentinian personnel. The conflict began after Argentina invaded the islands and Margaret Thatcher dispatched a military taskforce, which reclaimed them 10 weeks later.
On the 43rd anniversary of the war on April 2 last year, Mr Mil Milei declared his ambition to transform Argentina into a formidable nation so that Falklanders would opt for Buenos Aires over Britain.
A year prior, he had openly acknowledged that the Falkland Islands were “in the hands of the UK”, vowing to reclaim them through diplomatic means while conceding that there was no “instant solution”.