Argentine President pushes for restoration of sovereignty over Falkland Islands

Argentine President Javier Miley said on Tuesday that his government was the first in years to “take responsibility for the situation” and that it had a “clear course” to restore sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

In a speech at a ceremony marking the 42nd anniversary of the outbreak of the “Malvinas War”, which pitted Argentina against the United Kingdom (which is technically the owner of the islands it calls the Falklands), Miley criticized the treatment of previous governments. in the Armed Forces.

“It is no coincidence that virtually no progress has been made in reclaiming our islands: after decades, we are the first government to take responsibility for the situation and have a clear path to becoming a truly prosperous and sovereign country.” , – he said. President of Argentina, quoted by the Clarín newspaper.

In his speech, Argentina’s president criticized politicians who have “beat their chests for decades” to demonstrate their commitment to the islands’ demands, and policies that have brought “not a single result in all these years.”

“For sovereign demands to be heard and respected, the country and its leadership must first be respected, as no one will take seriously allegations of serial failure to comply,” Miley said, insisting on rebuking the country’s previous governments.

Likewise, Miley also criticized the fact that in recent years there is a part of the country’s political class that has focused its efforts on “tarnishing the name” of the Argentine Armed Forces, meaning that Buenos Aires does not enjoy “international respect.” .

“There is no sovereignty, no international respect for our interests, if the political leadership seeks to tarnish the name of our armed forces. During the years of strengthening our sovereignty, the armed forces were valued by all leaders and society,” he said. he added.

In this sense, Miley called on Argentine society and the political class to usher in “a new era of reconciliation with the Armed Forces,” in which “sincere tribute is paid to the heroes” of the country and the army receives “recognition and support.” what they deserve.”

For his part, former Argentine President Alberto Fernandez took the opportunity to recall that during his mandate (2019-2023) he ruled to “preserve the interests” of the country and even managed to get the European Union (EU) to recognize the Falkland Islands as disputed territory.

Fernandez stressed the need for claims to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands to be “unquestioned public policy”, highlighting the recent and controversial visit by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron to the archipelago.

“The British Foreign Secretary’s recent visit to the Falkland Islands is a direct affront to our sovereignty. This insult cannot be ignored. There are two ways to govern Argentina: preserving its interests or ignoring them,” Fernandez added.

“On this special day, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the Falkland Islands in honor of the sacrifice of those who bravely defended our land. The Falkland Islands are and will always be Argentina,” concluded the former Argentine President.

The Falklands War (or Falklands War) was an armed conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom that also affected the islands of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands between April 2 and June 14, 1982.

The Falkland Islands, an archipelago located about 500 kilometers off the coast of Argentina, were the scene of one of the shortest, bloodiest and most unnecessary wars to occur in the 20th century.

The region was occupied by the British in the 19th century and was part of a minimal portion of the vast territories that made up the vast British Empire. After the Second World War (1939/45), even despite the process of decolonization, the South American region found itself under British tutelage.

The war unfolded in the midst of a military dictatorship established in the early 1980s by then-President Leopoldo Galtieri, who took power on December 22, 1981 and was overthrown on June 18, 1982, four days after the end of the conflict.