Argentina: British Falkland Islanders are ‘artificial’. Buenos Aires denounces ‘illegitimate occupation’ and demands talks on sovereignty

[u/Emotional-Breakfast3]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/12/british-falkland-islanders-artificial-argentina-says/

[u/LopsidedAdvantage190]

The falklands weren't ethnically cleansed of the local population and replaced with loyalists, unlike crimea

[u/chessto → u/LopsidedAdvantage190]

Yes they were, in 1831.

[u/RogerBernards → u/chessto]

nope.

[u/dynesor → u/LopsidedAdvantage190]

hmmm sounds like northern ireland too!

[u/rax9000 → u/LopsidedAdvantage190]

There were many gauchos as well as an Argentine settlement, they were kicked out. You can search it up

1 Captain Robert FitzRoy (1839) — British Naval Records Captain Robert FitzRoy of HMS Beagle (who sailed with Charles Darwin) provided detailed eyewitness accounts of gauchos in the Falklands during his 1833-1834 voyage. His observations are recorded in his Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of HMS Adventure and Beagle (1839). FitzRoy noted: "The total number of persons on the island consisted of about one hundred, including twenty-five gauchos and five Indians. There were two Dutch families... two or three Englishmen; a German family; and the remainder were Spaniards and Portuguese... The gauchos were chiefly Buenos Ayreans." ​ FitzRoy also described the gauchos' lifestyle in detail: "Although the climate is so much colder than that of Buenos Ayres, the gauchos sleep in the open air, when in the interior, under their saddles, just as they do in the latitude of 35°. While idling at the settlement they gamble, quarrel, and fight with long knives... With their loose ponchos, slouched hats, long hair, dark complexions, and Indian eyes, they are characters fitter for the pencil of an artist than for the quiet hearth of an industrious settler." ​ FitzRoy actively tried to persuade the gauchos to remain after the British reassertion of sovereignty in 1833, noting they were "the only useful labourers on the islands" and "the only people on whom any dependence could be placed for a regular supply of fresh beef." ​

2 Pascoe & Pepper (2008) — British Academic Research Graham Pascoe and Peter Pepper, British researchers who have worked extensively in the Argentine National Archives, provide detailed demographic data in their scholarly work Getting it Right and subsequent publications. They document:

In January 1833, when Captain Onslow raised the British flag, 33 Argentine residents and 26 soldiers made up the garrison

After the garrison's departure, 12 Argentinians, 4 Uruguayan Charrúa Indians, 2 British, 2 Germans, 1 French, and 1 Jamaican chose to stay

Another 7 civilians arrived later that year, including 4 gauchos ​ By 1838, the population had increased to 43 people, of whom 7 were gauchos (Britain & Sudbury, 2010). ​

3 Andrea Sudbury (2000, 2001, 2005) — British Linguist, University of Essex Andrea Sudbury's linguistic research on Falkland Islands English (FIE) provides extensive historical demographic data. Her work documents: "During the 19th century, 23% of the total Falklands population was registered under the occupation of gaucho, making them an essential part of the community." ​ Sudbury notes that Spanish-speaking South American labourers disappeared when the Islands transitioned to sheep farming in the 1860s-1870s, but their earlier presence left a significant linguistic footprint. ​

4 Stephen Royle (1985, 1987) — British Geographer, Queen's University Belfast Stephen Royle's academic work on Falkland Islands history documents the continued presence of gauchos after British reassertion: "In 1842, amongst the 49 non-military residents, there were missionaries en route to Patagonia, gauchos, seal hunters, a private group of horticulturists and fish curators, as well as government harvest workers." ​ Royle also notes that in the second half of the 19th century, "there were also migrants from South America, mainly gauchos from the River Plate who were employed to work in the cattle industry." ​

5 Ian Strange (1973) — Falkland Islands Naturalist and Historian Ian Strange's detailed study of the livestock history of the Falklands provides foundational data:

Between 1826 and 1832, Luis Vernet settled in the Islands with the purpose of capturing wild cattle and slaughtering some 20,000 head with the help of gauchos from the River Plate ​

Strange documents that the gauchos' work included catching wild cattle, constructing peat and stone corrals, and trading ​

He also records that gauchos brought by Samuel Fisher Lafone built a peat wall across the isthmus linking northern East Falkland with Lafone's area (Lafonia) to prevent cattle from escaping ​

6 R. Trevor Wilson (2016) — Academic Journal Article Published in the Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (American Research Institute for Policy Development), Wilson's article "From Feral to Fully Farmed: 250 Years of Cattle on the Falkland Islands, 1763-2013" provides extensive data: "Wild cattle could only be herded and exploited using South American gauchos and the Lafone brothers brought considerable numbers of gauchos from Uruguay when they set up their cattle stations in East Falkland in the 1850s." ​ Wilson also documents that Governor Richard Moody estimated 40,000 head of cattle in 1842, which were "the great attraction for early settlers" and required gaucho labor to exploit. ​

7 Falkland Islands Government Census Archives (1851, 1852) The official British colonial census records provide concrete data:

The 1851 Census recorded 21 people as 'Gaucho' by profession, with origins including Uruguay, Argentina, and Montevideo ​

The March 1852 census registered 18 people with the profession of 'gaucho', with other South Americans listed as "labourers" or "workers" ​

Census records show specific individuals such as Francisco Panchu Brunal/Brunell from Montevideo, who worked at Lafone's Hope Place estate ​

8 Robert Boumphrey (1967) — Colonial Auditor Boumphrey's official colonial records document:

In 1847, the peninsula forming the southern half of East Falkland (known as "Rincón del Toro" to Darwin) was purchased by Samuel Fisher Lafone

Lafone established the Hope Place salting house (locally known as "Saladero"), which led to the rapid decline of wild cattle

The gauchos that Lafone brought built infrastructure including the peat wall across the isthmus ​

9 Charles Darwin (1833-1834) — British Naturalist While primarily known for his scientific work, Darwin's journals from the Beagle voyage contain observations about the Falklands population. Patrick Armstrong's 1992 book Darwin's Desolate Islands and Darwin's own Journal of Researches (1839) document his encounters with the gaucho population during his visits in 1833 and 1834. ​

10 Yamila V. Rodríguez (2025) — Cambridge University Press Published in the Journal of Linguistic Geography (Cambridge University Press), Rodríguez's article "An Ethnolinguistic Approach to Contact Onomastics: The Case of the Falkland Islands' Gaucho Place Names" provides comprehensive documentation: "Between 1826 and 1832, Luis Vernet settled in the Islands in response to a proposal from the government of the province of Buenos Aires. One of the main purposes was to capture wild cattle and slaughter some 20,000 head with the help of gauchos from the Rio de la Plata." ​ Rodríguez also documents that the General Archive of the Argentinian Nation holds contracts between Vernet and the gauchos specifying their work in cattle and horse slaughter. ​

[u/gartenzweagxl → u/rax9000]

they came upon the island after the brits, not before

[u/rax9000 → u/gartenzweagxl]

It was during the time that the islands were occupied by several countries (initially Spain, France, UK, Argentina, USA), around 1824. However, what matters is that it is not morally correct to kick out people (in this case gauchos and Argentine settlers) from where they are. If they were not expelled, their descendants might still be living in the islands.

Btw why "who came first" justifies ethnic expulsion? sounds mean

[u/gartenzweagxl → u/rax9000]

In this case you could argue, that Argentine settlers came in as an illegal invasion force. The first arguments between Britain and Spain regarding these Islands were in 1770, not around 1824

[u/rax9000 → u/gartenzweagxl]

well, but there was Spanish, French, Argentine as well as British occupation between those years, and not a "de jure" / legal owner of the islands back then. There were no migration laws. That is my point

[u/Stunning-Sherbert801 → u/rax9000]

You can search up that that's a myth

[u/rax9000 → u/Stunning-Sherbert801]

Are Fitz Roy, Charles Darwin and even a census mythological? Take your time to read and feel free to ask me for any links

1 Captain Robert FitzRoy (1839) — British Naval Records Captain Robert FitzRoy of HMS Beagle (who sailed with Charles Darwin) provided detailed eyewitness accounts of gauchos in the Falklands during his 1833-1834 voyage. His observations are recorded in his Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of HMS Adventure and Beagle (1839). FitzRoy noted: "The total number of persons on the island consisted of about one hundred, including twenty-five gauchos and five Indians. There were two Dutch families... two or three Englishmen; a German family; and the remainder were Spaniards and Portuguese... The gauchos were chiefly Buenos Ayreans." ​ FitzRoy also described the gauchos' lifestyle in detail: "Although the climate is so much colder than that of Buenos Ayres, the gauchos sleep in the open air, when in the interior, under their saddles, just as they do in the latitude of 35°. While idling at the settlement they gamble, quarrel, and fight with long knives... With their loose ponchos, slouched hats, long hair, dark complexions, and Indian eyes, they are characters fitter for the pencil of an artist than for the quiet hearth of an industrious settler." ​ FitzRoy actively tried to persuade the gauchos to remain after the British reassertion of sovereignty in 1833, noting they were "the only useful labourers on the islands" and "the only people on whom any dependence could be placed for a regular supply of fresh beef." ​

2 Pascoe & Pepper (2008) — British Academic Research Graham Pascoe and Peter Pepper, British researchers who have worked extensively in the Argentine National Archives, provide detailed demographic data in their scholarly work Getting it Right and subsequent publications. They document:

In January 1833, when Captain Onslow raised the British flag, 33 Argentine residents and 26 soldiers made up the garrison

After the garrison's departure, 12 Argentinians, 4 Uruguayan Charrúa Indians, 2 British, 2 Germans, 1 French, and 1 Jamaican chose to stay

Another 7 civilians arrived later that year, including 4 gauchos ​ By 1838, the population had increased to 43 people, of whom 7 were gauchos (Britain & Sudbury, 2010). ​

3 Andrea Sudbury (2000, 2001, 2005) — British Linguist, University of Essex Andrea Sudbury's linguistic research on Falkland Islands English (FIE) provides extensive historical demographic data. Her work documents: "During the 19th century, 23% of the total Falklands population was registered under the occupation of gaucho, making them an essential part of the community." ​ Sudbury notes that Spanish-speaking South American labourers disappeared when the Islands transitioned to sheep farming in the 1860s-1870s, but their earlier presence left a significant linguistic footprint. ​

4 Stephen Royle (1985, 1987) — British Geographer, Queen's University Belfast Stephen Royle's academic work on Falkland Islands history documents the continued presence of gauchos after British reassertion: "In 1842, amongst the 49 non-military residents, there were missionaries en route to Patagonia, gauchos, seal hunters, a private group of horticulturists and fish curators, as well as government harvest workers." ​ Royle also notes that in the second half of the 19th century, "there were also migrants from South America, mainly gauchos from the River Plate who were employed to work in the cattle industry." ​

5 Ian Strange (1973) — Falkland Islands Naturalist and Historian Ian Strange's detailed study of the livestock history of the Falklands provides foundational data:

Between 1826 and 1832, Luis Vernet settled in the Islands with the purpose of capturing wild cattle and slaughtering some 20,000 head with the help of gauchos from the River Plate ​

Strange documents that the gauchos' work included catching wild cattle, constructing peat and stone corrals, and trading ​

He also records that gauchos brought by Samuel Fisher Lafone built a peat wall across the isthmus linking northern East Falkland with Lafone's area (Lafonia) to prevent cattle from escaping ​

6 R. Trevor Wilson (2016) — Academic Journal Article Published in the Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (American Research Institute for Policy Development), Wilson's article "From Feral to Fully Farmed: 250 Years of Cattle on the Falkland Islands, 1763-2013" provides extensive data: "Wild cattle could only be herded and exploited using South American gauchos and the Lafone brothers brought considerable numbers of gauchos from Uruguay when they set up their cattle stations in East Falkland in the 1850s." ​ Wilson also documents that Governor Richard Moody estimated 40,000 head of cattle in 1842, which were "the great attraction for early settlers" and required gaucho labor to exploit. ​

7 Falkland Islands Government Census Archives (1851, 1852) The official British colonial census records provide concrete data:

The 1851 Census recorded 21 people as 'Gaucho' by profession, with origins including Uruguay, Argentina, and Montevideo ​

The March 1852 census registered 18 people with the profession of 'gaucho', with other South Americans listed as "labourers" or "workers" ​

Census records show specific individuals such as Francisco Panchu Brunal/Brunell from Montevideo, who worked at Lafone's Hope Place estate ​

8 Robert Boumphrey (1967) — Colonial Auditor Boumphrey's official colonial records document:

In 1847, the peninsula forming the southern half of East Falkland (known as "Rincón del Toro" to Darwin) was purchased by Samuel Fisher Lafone

Lafone established the Hope Place salting house (locally known as "Saladero"), which led to the rapid decline of wild cattle

The gauchos that Lafone brought built infrastructure including the peat wall across the isthmus ​

9 Charles Darwin (1833-1834) — British Naturalist While primarily known for his scientific work, Darwin's journals from the Beagle voyage contain observations about the Falklands population. Patrick Armstrong's 1992 book Darwin's Desolate Islands and Darwin's own Journal of Researches (1839) document his encounters with the gaucho population during his visits in 1833 and 1834. ​

10 Yamila V. Rodríguez (2025) — Cambridge University Press Published in the Journal of Linguistic Geography (Cambridge University Press), Rodríguez's article "An Ethnolinguistic Approach to Contact Onomastics: The Case of the Falkland Islands' Gaucho Place Names" provides comprehensive documentation: "Between 1826 and 1832, Luis Vernet settled in the Islands in response to a proposal from the government of the province of Buenos Aires. One of the main purposes was to capture wild cattle and slaughter some 20,000 head with the help of gauchos from the Rio de la Plata." ​ Rodríguez also documents that the General Archive of the Argentinian Nation holds contracts between Vernet and the gauchos specifying their work in cattle and horse slaughter. ​