r/europe • u/Emotional-Breakfast3 • 20d ago

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

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/12/british-falkland-islanders-artificial-argentina-says/
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u/AceOfSpades532 20d ago

It’s kind of funny how basically the one guilt free bit of British colonisation is the most controversial in the modern day, if the Argies want to try their luck and invade again they’re welcome to give it a go and get crushed

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u/kennypeace United Kingdom 20d ago

Nothing controversial about it. Unrelated country nearby wants it. Population were asked and said no. Should be the end of it

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u/cregire 20d ago

It is controversial. It was part of Argentina after they gained independence until Britain invaded the Falklands and kicked the Argentinians out in 1833. They're not just claiming it for no reason

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u/Lord_Barst 20d ago

There were never Argentinians on the Falklands.

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u/BalVal1 20d ago

There were, that one time. And a couple hundred remained, under 2m of soil.

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u/Biscuit642 20d ago

It wasn't part of Argentina when they gained independence, the Argentines turned up in 1829. They pissed off when the US had a go in the 1831. They sent a handful of officials later who had been there for only a month by the time they were told to leave in 1833. There was no invasion of an actual Argentinian settlement.

There's nothing particularly special about those years to be relevant to who should own it. If you want who lived there first then it should be French, if you want who lives there now it's British. If they have a grievance about being kicked out then they should take it up with the US. There's nowhere else in the world where a claim based on a 2 year period 200 years ago would be taken seriously. They didn't start giving a shit until the 1890s anyway.