United Kingdom replies to Milei: Commitment to Falkland is “unstoppable”

“ Afalkland is British because the inhabitants chose to be British,” Wes Streeting wrote on social media, stressing that “the UK’s commitment to the islands “is absolute and unshakable.”. 

“Milei’s statement, made at night, tells us more about Argentina’s internal policy than about the Falkland Islands,” he added.

The Argentine President reiterated on Thursday evening, during a television communication, the country's claim to the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, located off the South American country. 

To put pressure on London, Milei announced sanctions against companies exploiting natural resources in the Falklands and promised to build a military base at one of the continental points closest to the South Atlantic archipelago.

Milei anticipated that he would seek sanctions to apply to other activities in the Falklands, whose economy is based on fishing, cruise tourism and sheep farming.

The South Atlantic archipelago, designated in Argentina as Malvinas and in the United Kingdom as Falkland, is claimed by the two countries, which waged a 10-week war for this territory in 1982.

The Argentine military dictatorship invaded the Falklands in 1982, maintaining control of the islands for 73 days before the British forces regained them, in a war that caused the death of 649 Argentine and 255 British soldiers.

Argentina's claim to the islands was entered in the country's constitution.

The United Kingdom has been administering the Falklands since 1833 and maintains that the inhabitants must determine their status. 

In the islands, located 480 kilometres from the Argentine coast, there are about 3,500 people living and in a 2013 referendum 99.8% voted in favour of staying as British territory.