'Argentina has non-negotiable sovereignty over the Falklands', country's new right-wing president Javier Milei declares
20 November 2023, 16:37 | Updated: 21 November 2023, 12:36
Javier Milei has said that Argentina has non-negotiable' sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
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Mr Milei, a right-wing libertarian economist, was elected as president of Argentina on Sunday night, defeating current economics minister Sergio Massa.
The new president said in a presidential debate that Argentina should have control of the islands, which it calls Las Malvinas.
The Falklands are a British overseas territory, which Argentina invaded in 1982, sparking a military response from the UK. More than 900 people died in the ensuing war, which resulted in the islands remaining under British control.
The population of the Falklands, which are 300 miles off the coast of Argentina in the south Atlantic, voted overwhelmingly to remain British in a 2013 referendum.
Argentina continues to dispute the Falklands' status, and previous president Alberto Fernandez called Britain's control over the islands an "anachronistic colonial situation".
In that context Mr Milei's position could be seen as relatively conciliatory. He even praised Margaret Thatcher, Britain's Conservative prime minister who launched the UK military response to Argentina's invasion.
Mrs Thatcher, still hated by many for ordering the navy to fire on the Belgrano warship, was described by Mr Milei as "one the great leaders in the history of humanity” during his campaign.
Mr Milei, 53, said in the debate: "We had a war – that we lost – and now we have to make every effort to recover the islands through diplomatic channels."
An advisor to Mr Milei has said that the Falklands could be gradually transferred to Argentina in a similar process to Hong Kong coming under Chinese rule.
But Diana Mondino also said that the will of the Falklanders themselves must be respected.
"In such a process we can’t leave out those people who live in the Islands, we must include the interests of people living in the Island," she said.
A statement on the Argentine government’s website says: "The recovery of these territories and the full exercise of its sovereignty, respecting the way of life of its inhabitants and following the principles of International Law, constitutes a permanent and irrevocable objective of the Argentine people."
Falklands veteran remembers conflict
Mr Milei gained 56 per cent of the vote, compared to Mr Massa’s 46 per cent - the widest victory margin in the country since it returned to democracy in 1983.
The newly elected president told his supporters on Sunday evening: "Today the reconstruction of Argentina begins. Today is a historic night for Argentina,”
Mr Milei pledged to make “drastic changes” to the country and promised to deal with rising inflation and poverty.
The country is currently experiencing extreme poverty alongside 143 per cent inflation.
Dismantling the Central Bank, halving the number of government ministries and pushing the dollarisation of the economy are among some of his pledges.
“We have monumental problems ahead: inflation, lack of work, and poverty,” he told his voters.
“The situation is critical and there is no place for tepid half-measures."
