In particular, he has often used the islands as a central theme of the campaign. This week, lawmakers from her Peronist alliance even proposed renaming one of the main streets in Buenos Aires to Malvina, the Spanish name for the Falklands. Despite the resumption of diplomatic relations in 1990, Buenos Aires and London failed to settle their dispute over the islands, which were invaded by the Argentine military junta on April 2, 1982, before a task force sent by the Thatcher government the Argentine army. A total of 649 Argentine and 255 British soldiers were killed in the 74-day war along with three of the Falklanders. Buenos Aires has since called for a resumption of talks on island sovereignty, citing a 1965 United Nations resolution calling on Argentina and the United Kingdom to resolve the dispute as part of a global process “to end colonialism in all its forms.” ».

“One of the most militarized zones in the world”

The United Kingdom, meanwhile, has refused to return to the negotiating table, insisting on the 3,200 inhabitants of the Falkland Islands. In a 2013 referendum, 99.8% voted in favor of staying in the UK. Mr Carmona says the “interests” of the islanders must be respected, but that the principle of self-determination “applies in cases where people are subjected to the colonial process, not to those populations involved in colonial action”. He also accused the United Kingdom of turning the Falklands into “one of the most militarized areas in the world” based on the ratio of one to two 1,500 soldiers to the tiny civilian population of the islands. Describing this as “absurd”, he added: “You have the impression that the British government is acting as if there was no democracy in Argentina.” Almost unanimously, Argentines across the political spectrum support the country’s claim to the islands. It was arguably the only thing left-wing Montonero guerrillas of the 1960s and 1970s saw with the brutal military dictatorship of the right, says Carlos De Angelis, a sociologist at the University of Buenos Aires. But there is also a word in Argentine Spanish, “malvinero”, for a politician who is overly nationalistic or uses the Falklands to earn domestic policy points. Due to the economic turmoil and the horrific human rights violations, the junta was already facing serious problems when it invaded the Falklands. The move initially sparked a tidal wave of euphoria in Argentina.
But the mood quickly turned against the regime as Argentine forces, many of whom were unprepared for military service – similar to some of the Russian troops in Ukraine today – were defeated by the British, leading to the collapse of the dictatorship and the return of democracy. 1983.