Argentina complains to UN over UK's 'militarisation' of Falklands

(Image credit: 2012 AFP)

published 8 February 2012

ARGENTINA is to complain to the UN about Britain's "militarisation" of the South Atlantic as tensions rise in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War – or Guerra de Las Malvinas, as Argentines refer to it. The country's president, Cristina Kirchner de Fernandez, made the announcement during a speech to veterans of the 1982 conflict. She claimed Britain was acting like a colonial power whose actions posed "a grave danger” to international security. "We cannot interpret in any other way the deployment of an ultra-modern destroyer accompanying the heir to the throne, who we would prefer to see in civilian attire," she said, referring to the British government's decision to send HMS Dauntless to the region and Prince William's tour of duty as a search-and-rescue pilot on the islands. However, Kirchner ruled out military action, telling the veterans: "Don't expect us to deal with this outside of politics or diplomacy." She hinted that the main reason for escalating concerns over the fate of Las Malvinas was oil. Kirchner said future wars would be fought over natural resources, and that Argentina was one the "richest regions in world". According to The Daily Telegraph: "Her address was delivered in front of a large poster showing an outline of the islands – which Britain have had since 1833 – emblazoned with the blue and white flag of Argentina... After the speech, Kirchner emerged on to a balcony and was greeted with roaring approval from the flag-waving crowd, at one point pumping her fist and joining them in nationalistic song." The Guardian reports that her speech "sought to internationalise the dispute and raise pressure on London to discuss sovereignty. But [she] did not close Argentina's airspace to flights between Chile and the Falklands, as some islanders had feared." However, in a separate move by her government, tensions over the anniversary have been stoked by a decision to bring football into politics. Argentina's first division, which begins its new season on Friday, has been renamed in honour of the 323 sailors who died when the General Belgrano was sunk by a Royal Navy submarine during the Falklands conflict.

As The Times reports, the league will be known as the Crucero General Belgrano Primera División.