The Falkland Islands: One of Great Britain's last colonial possessions
by Fred Nance
A brief war was fought in 1982 between
Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Located in the South
Atlantic, the islands have been a possession of Great Britain since
British occupation in 1833. Argentina claims the islands as its territory
and lately has been making strong diplomatic moves to try to reclaim
the property known to Argentinians as "Las Malvinas." However, before
the recent attempts to reclaim the islands diplomatically, the first
move was by force.
The start of the 1980s found the
economy of Argentina in shambles, and the military regime in power
was accused of political arrests, murders, and disappearances of some
30,000 people. It was against this chaotic backdrop that the government
of General Leopoldo Galtieri rallied the country behind it in April
1982 by forcibly occupying the British-held Falkland Islands. The intent
was to strike a chord of national pride with its people. After two
months of war Great Britain recaptured the islands in June 1982.
More than a thousand Argentine lives
were lost and the war remains a bitter memory. The issue of Falklands
sovereignty has been a source of irritation to the British. But to
the Argentines it is a matter of reclaiming lost territory. Since the
war, a relationship of goodwill has prevailed between the two countries.
As reported in The Economist of October 30, 1998, both parties
agreed in 1989 that matters concerning the islands could be handled
in a practical manner without affecting either country's claim to sovereignty.
Seeking Help
The two countries cooperate in international
affairs, and both are allies of the United States. Carlos Menem became
the first Argentine president to visit Britain since the 1960s this
past October. The visit was one of reconciliation for both sides. However,
Mr. Menem raised the issue of sovereignty of the islands to deaf ears
among the British.
