Falklands 99.8 UK

FALKLANDS 99.8 UK

Falklanders celebrating their landslide victory in Port Stanley..

As we stated last year, (“Falklands 30 Years Later” at http://tempos-interessantes.blogspot.pt/2012/06/falklands-20-years-later.html ) the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands are staunchly British. So they confirmed overwhelmingly in a referendum last weekend. 92% of the electorate voted, of which no less than 99.8% voted to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Regardless of the renewed pressure placed on them by Argentina’s government, the Falklanders freely and democratically expressed their will. Britain’s Prime-Minister David Cameron congratulated the islanders, expressed his hope that the democratic act would settle the international quarrel over the archipelago and stated his determination to defend the Falklands from any hostile action by a foreign power.

Predictably, the Argentinian government, faithful to the recent strategy of stirring up the conflict to force London’s hand, denounced the democratic referendum as a charade and characterized the Falklands inhabitants as an “implanted population”, or a “foreign population living illegally in Argentina”.

This is hilarious and ridiculous. The Falklands, a deserted and unoccupied archipelago were found in the 16 Century by England, which claimed and named the islands a century later. Needless to say that by this time, Argentina did not even exist as an independent country. Great Britain started populating the islands in 1833, exactly 180 years ago.

Actually, if the people living in the Falklands are implanted, what can we say about the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, an offspring of a Spanish father and a German mother? Is she implanted as well? And her deceased husband and former President, Nestor Kirchner, son of a Chilean of Croatian descent and of a woman of Swiss-German descent, is yet another implanted person?

The truth is that today’s Argentinian government, like the Military Junta headed by General Leopoldo Galtieri in 1982, is using the Falklands issue as a decoy to distract the people  from the dire straits that Argentina is traversing. Although today’s government does not suffer from a lack of democratic legitimacy and does not resort to permanent and ruthless brutality to shore up its power, it is notorious for its corruption, acute cronyism, statistics manipulation and media harassment. Again like the Juntas of the 1970’s and 1980’s, the purpose is the maintenance of uncontested power.

And this, of course, is yet another reason for the Falkland Islanders to fiercely want to continue to be British!

British flags share the spotlight with the Falklands flag. Depending on the people, the two flags will continue to march on together.

Falklands 30 Years Later

FALKLANDS 30 YEARS LATER

British troops marching towards victory in the Falklands in 1982.

The Falkland Islands were found by an English navigator, John Davies, in 1592. In the late 17 Century, Captain Strong landed on the islands, claimed them to Great Britain, and christened them, honouring the Navy Treasurer, Lord Falkland. The British permanently settled the previously deserted and unoccupied archipelago since 1833.

Last, but not least, today’s Falklanders and staunchly British and abhor the idea of forcibly (or otherwise) becoming Argentinians. I strongly sympathize with them.

In April 1982, the United Kingdom government ordered a naval task force to the South Atlantic to get back the islands conquered by Argentina. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher showed great political courage, determination and sense of duty by sending the air-naval expedition, together with an expeditionary corps to face, fight and defeat the Argentinian invaders.

 The British invasion from the landing in Port San Carlos,

 to the capture of Port Stanley.

in Wikipedia.com

The Falklands War was short, but hardly fought with significant loss of life (c. 250 British and 650 Argentinians) and materiel. The British troops prevailed, taking the South Georgia Island and the South Sandwich Islands on the 20 June. On the 14 June, Port Stanley, the Falklands’ capital, was captured by the British troops and the war was over.

Falklands War Memorial in Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

 

Thirty years ago today, on 20 June 1982, the Falklands War was officially terminated. Britannia still ruled the waves in the South Atlantic.