Who's calling who colonial?
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The Falkland Islands, also known as the Malvinas Islas, have been the focal point of a war of words in the run up to the anniversary commemorations.
British Prime Minister David Cameron accused Argentina of acting “colonial” in a reaction to Argentina’s decision in January to restrict any vessels baring a Falkland Island’s flag entering Argentinean ports.
In response to Prime Minister Cameron, Argentina and supporters have denounced Britain’s presence in the South Atlantic as “crude colonial power in decline.”
With the support of the rising powerful Latin American region, Argentina has used this opportunity to call for renewed negotiations over the issue of sovereignty.
However, political analysts believe that Argentina’s revived interest in the dispute is due to recent developments in oil extraction.
Argentina generally claims historical and cultural rights to what it calls the Malvinas islands and asserts that its oil and fishing resources are being plundered by the British.
George Grant of the Henry Jackson Society in London, in a response to such claims said, ‘Argentina is behaving childishly by trying to provoke a row. It is morally and legally indefensible.”
However, former Argentinean Foreign Minister, Jorge Taiana, accused the British Government of refusing to comply with calls to open negotiations on the sovereignty of the islands and of continuing to carry out unilateral actions in the disputed area, which undermined UN General Assembly Resolution 31/49 of 1976.
In 2005, Argentina had submitted 15 notes to the United Kingdom rejecting such illegitimate acts, such as carrying out seismic surveying for hydrocarbons, granting licences for exploration and exploitation of minerals and aeromagnetic surveying activities on the islands.
In more recent months, the increased interest in oil drilling by British licensed companies in the territory and in disputed areas has fuelled tensions in the debate.
Argentina has just sent letters to British and American banks involved in oil exploration in the region warning them that continued involvement would lead to a court case being filed against them, reported the Sunday Telegraph.
Argentina’s current Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman, told Télam news agency: “the exploitation of fishing and hydrocarbons, without permission, in Argentine waters, usurping goods that belong to the Argentine people, not only escalates an unnecessary dispute but carries environmental risks”
He continued arguing that “the UK is run on colonialist considerations and behaves as if it were above the international legal order, ignoring many decisions of the UN and calls for regional forums to re-establish dialogue with Argentina".
The Malvinas Basin, which is thought to be connected to the South Falklands Basin but is in Argentinean waters, has a number of wells that were drilled in the early 80s largely by Exxon. This basin is now believed to be connected to the same sedimentary basin that Borders and FOGL (Falkland’s oil and Gas) are drilling.
Yet, if Argentina maintains its sovereignty claim then political analysts suggest an oil deal with sharing of profits is a more realistic outcome.
The likelihood of such a deal is debatable but with the United Kingdom looking to build on economic relations with Latin America this could prove a testing time in the Falklands/Malvinas dispute that could give Argentina added leverage since the region has already proven support to PresidentCristina Fernández de Kirchner. One thing the anniversary has highlighted is that within 30 years, negotiations, or lack of, are worryingly stuck on the same issues that were contested before 1982 and during the first colonial phase.
British Prime Minister David Cameron accused Argentina of acting “colonial” in a reaction to Argentina’s decision in January to restrict any vessels baring a Falkland Island’s flag entering Argentinean ports.
In response to Prime Minister Cameron, Argentina and supporters have denounced Britain’s presence in the South Atlantic as “crude colonial power in decline.”
With the support of the rising powerful Latin American region, Argentina has used this opportunity to call for renewed negotiations over the issue of sovereignty.
However, political analysts believe that Argentina’s revived interest in the dispute is due to recent developments in oil extraction.
Argentina generally claims historical and cultural rights to what it calls the Malvinas islands and asserts that its oil and fishing resources are being plundered by the British.
George Grant of the Henry Jackson Society in London, in a response to such claims said, ‘Argentina is behaving childishly by trying to provoke a row. It is morally and legally indefensible.”
However, former Argentinean Foreign Minister, Jorge Taiana, accused the British Government of refusing to comply with calls to open negotiations on the sovereignty of the islands and of continuing to carry out unilateral actions in the disputed area, which undermined UN General Assembly Resolution 31/49 of 1976.
In 2005, Argentina had submitted 15 notes to the United Kingdom rejecting such illegitimate acts, such as carrying out seismic surveying for hydrocarbons, granting licences for exploration and exploitation of minerals and aeromagnetic surveying activities on the islands.
In more recent months, the increased interest in oil drilling by British licensed companies in the territory and in disputed areas has fuelled tensions in the debate.
Argentina has just sent letters to British and American banks involved in oil exploration in the region warning them that continued involvement would lead to a court case being filed against them, reported the Sunday Telegraph.
Argentina’s current Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman, told Télam news agency: “the exploitation of fishing and hydrocarbons, without permission, in Argentine waters, usurping goods that belong to the Argentine people, not only escalates an unnecessary dispute but carries environmental risks”
He continued arguing that “the UK is run on colonialist considerations and behaves as if it were above the international legal order, ignoring many decisions of the UN and calls for regional forums to re-establish dialogue with Argentina".
The Malvinas Basin, which is thought to be connected to the South Falklands Basin but is in Argentinean waters, has a number of wells that were drilled in the early 80s largely by Exxon. This basin is now believed to be connected to the same sedimentary basin that Borders and FOGL (Falkland’s oil and Gas) are drilling.
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Yet, if Argentina maintains its sovereignty claim then political analysts suggest an oil deal with sharing of profits is a more realistic outcome.
The likelihood of such a deal is debatable but with the United Kingdom looking to build on economic relations with Latin America this could prove a testing time in the Falklands/Malvinas dispute that could give Argentina added leverage since the region has already proven support to PresidentCristina Fernández de Kirchner. One thing the anniversary has highlighted is that within 30 years, negotiations, or lack of, are worryingly stuck on the same issues that were contested before 1982 and during the first colonial phase.
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