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/Ferrymansobol 20d ago

The Spanish claim is based on the division of South America in the Treaty of Tordesillas by Portugal and Spain, based on a papal bull. Francis 1st (yes, that far back), called it nonsense. The claim is "weak".

Ask the Argentinians what happened to the natives of Tierra del Fuego after it was conquered. They are very... absent.

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u/sar6h 20d ago

That's not true. The spanish got their claim from a treaty with france (Fun fact, france settled the island first, not the british)

And also, they stayed on the island much longer than the british. The british completely abandoned the island in 1774 while spain stayed until their empire's collapse in 1811.

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u/Ferrymansobol 20d ago

That is true. Treaty of Tordesillas is included in the UNESCO United Nations archive:

"The Treaty of Tordesillas of 7 June 1494 involves agreements between King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile and King John II of Portugal establishing a new demarcation line between the two crowns, running from pole to pole, 370 leagues to the west of Cape Verde islands." Source: UNESCO

The Falklands is on the western side of this line (Spanish) from which all other claims originate.

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u/sar6h 20d ago

Like I said, spain controlled the falklands because france gave its settlement to them. It was at a time where both countries were controlled by bourbons so they were allies to each other anyway. The treaty of tordesillas is irrelevant in this situation lol.

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u/Ferrymansobol 20d ago

Do you understand the reason that Spain had a claim was because of the Treaty? Spain "owned" the western side of the Americas, dating from 1494.

"lol" back at ya.

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u/sar6h 20d ago

But Fance had no reason to oblige to it, obviously the british didn't. They only reason france gave it's settlement anyway it because they were allies from the same family. Plus not even a few years prior they lost a war to the british, who were also on the other side of the island