Trump and the dispute of the Falkland Islands between Argentina and the UK

Many European explorers sighted the Falkland Islands in the 16th and 17th centuries, but English Captain John Strong was the first to explore the totality of the archipelago by sailing between the two principal islands in 1690. He called the passage "Falkland Channel" after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland, who, as Commissioner of the Admiralty, had financed the expedition and later became First Lord of the Admiralty.

However, it was the French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville who established a colony on East Falkland's Berkeley Sound coast in 1764, calling the settlement Port Louis in honor of the French King Louis XV. The French name Îles Malouines was given to the islands, as malouin is the adjective for the Breton port of Saint-Malo. The Spanish name Islas Malvinas is a translation of the French name.

In 1765, Captain John Byron, who was unaware the French had established Port Louis on East Falkland, explored West Falkland, named the area Port Egmont, and claimed the islands for Britain. The next year, Captain John MacBride established a permanent British settlement at Port Egmont.

At that time, international law was very unclear about what gave a country the right to establish a colony in an unpopulated territory. However, the practice between the French and the British was that sighting a territory was not enough to claim the land; permanent occupation was necessary for a legitimate incorporation. In that sense, the French were rightly entitled to East Falkland and the British to West Falkland.

Because France and Spain were close allies at the time, the French agreed to leave East Falkland in 1766 after the Spanish complained about a French presence in territories they considered their own. Spain agreed to compensate Louis de Bougainville, the French admiral and explorer who had established the settlement at his own expense.

In 1767, the Spanish formally assumed control of Port Louis and renamed it Puerto Soledad (Port Solitude).

Following the idea that South America was Spain’s dominion, the Spaniards attacked the British colony in West Falkland in 1770 and expelled all its inhabitants.

This almost triggered a war between the UK and Spain; consequently, the British were allowed to return briefly to the colony with the promise of leaving in the future. This occurred in 1776 during the American War of Independence, when Britain could no longer afford to subsidize its presence in West Falkland.

The British population evacuated the place while leaving a plaque asserting Britain's continuing sovereignty. For the next four years, British sealers used Port Egmont as a base. This ended in 1780 when they were forced to leave by Spanish authorities, who then ordered the British colony to be destroyed. Spain then took formal possession of all the Falkland Islands.

In the international law of that era, a country could temporarily leave a territory and still claim it as its own if the absence was “not too long.” In the case of West Falkland, Britain did not formally protest the 1780 destruction of Port Egmont at the time. This was largely because the two nations were already at open war and the colony was no longer an official government outpost.

Later, the Spanish withdrew completely from the islands under pressure resulting from the Napoleonic invasion and the Argentine War of Independence. What would become the new Argentine state applied the principle of uti possidetis iuris, which established that former colonial possessions became part of the territory of newly independent nations. This continued sovereignty, based on the tradition of Spain’s legal titles, enabled the latter to be the rightful owner of the Falkland Islands.

Due to the increasing illegal international hunting of whales in the archipelago, the government in Buenos Aires decided to establish a permanent military presence in 1820. In 1825, the UK recognized the independence of Argentina with its established borders, which, according to Argentinian scholars, was a clear acknowledgement from the British that the Falkland Islands belonged to Argentina.

The Argentinian colony thrived in the 1820s. It was only after this that the British started to show interest again to strengthen their maritime route to Australia. Therefore, it was not until 1829 that Britain issued its first formal protest. In 1831, U.S. whale hunters were arrested by Argentinian authorities for illegal activities; in response, the U.S. Navy sent the USS Lexington to attack the poorly defended Argentinian post at Puerto Soledad in revenge.

The US and the UK came to an agreement: Washington would recognize London’s sovereignty in the Falkland Islands in exchange for fishing rights for American hunters. With that established, the UK sent a military expedition to the archipelago in 1833 and could easily expel the small Argentinian garrison. From that moment, the Falkland Islands were formally incorporated into British territory, and Argentina began to issue periodic protests.

In international law, territorial claims are generally considered to have lapsed if there is a gap of 50 years or more between assertions of sovereignty. In Argentina's case, there was no such gap. Conversely, Britain kept silent for 52 years between 1776 and 1829. At the time, Argentina could not declare war on Britain as it was weaker militarily and expected to trade the islands for a reduction of its international debt.

The islands’ economic growth began only after the Falkland Islands Company introduced Cheviot sheep for wool production. From then on, the islands established themselves as a pastoral colony of the United Kingdom. The Falkland Islands Company operated as a monopoly, controlling much of the islands' economy until the 1990s. By the beginning of the 20th century, the population had become almost entirely British, and the islands were the scene of maritime battles in both World Wars.

In the 1960s and 70s, the UK and Argentina established good commercial ties: the Argentinian oil company YPF supplied the population with fuel and Buenos Aires financed an airstrip in Port Stanley. Direct air and sea links were established, along with agreements on postal and telephone services. Some islanders even sent their children to boarding schools in Argentina.

However, as Argentina experienced decades of nationalism and economic stagnation, first under Peronism and later under the Military Junta, claims regarding sovereignty increased. Simultaneously, Britain experienced economic difficulties and reduced its presence.

In this context, the Argentinian right-wing dictatorship led by Leopoldo Galtieri sent an invading force of 600 soldiers in April 1982, defeating the 68 British Marines stationed there. Argentina then sent an additional force of 13,000 soldiers. Seven weeks later, a British force of 7,000 landed, and after two months of fighting, the Argentinian forces surrendered in June.

In total, 907 people were killed during the 74 day conflict: 255 British personnel, 649 Argentinians, and three Falkland Islanders. Additionally, there were 1,188 Argentine and 777 British wounded.

The European Economic Community provided support by imposing sanctions on Argentina. Despite the Monroe Doctrine and the Organization of American States, the US supported the UK after diplomatic efforts failed. Analysts suggest Britain might have lost the initial attempt to retake the islands without American assistance.

Since then, the official US position has been one of neutrality while recognizing de facto British control.

Links with Argentina were severed post war, and laws were introduced forbidding Argentine citizens from buying land. Recently, Argentines have been allowed to visit the military cemeteries. Islanders had full British citizenship restored in 1983, and their quality of life improved through UK investment and economic liberalization. In a 2013 referendum, 99.8% of voters opted to remain a British territory.

The most important resource is Illex argentinus, known as Argentine squid, one of the most sought-after products in Asian and European markets. Other species are also caught, such as loligo squid, longtail hake, and Patagonian toothfish.

Fishing licenses account for more than 60 percent of the local government’s revenue and generate tens of millions of dollars each year. Much of the fleet operating in the region belongs to companies from countries such as Spain, South Korea, and Taiwan, which pay for permits to fish in these waters, bypassing any disputes over the territory’s sovereignty.

In recent years, exploration campaigns have been carried out in the northern basin of the islands, where Rockhopper Exploration announced the discovery of the Sea Lion field, considered one of the most important oil projects in the region.

Today, the “special relationship” between the US and the UK has been tested like never before. With Donald Trump being openly hostile to Keir Starmer and a leaked Pentagon email proposing that the US reassess its support for the UK’s claim due to a lack of support over Iran, tensions are high. Starmer kept the UK out of the Iran war but allowed the US to fly B-1 and B-52 bombers from British bases for defensive missions.

At the same time, Trump has found a geopolitical ally in Argentina's President Milei. The two men speak warmly of each other, sharing ideological similarities. While American diplomats have consistently blocked resolutions pushing Argentine sovereignty at the UN and the OAS in the past, this could change if Trump decides to punish the UK.

President Milei recently posted: “The Malvinas were, are, and always will be Argentine.” This contrasts with his more moderate tone from months ago.

The Falkland Islands are considered by the UN to be a “Non-Self-Governing Territory” and remain subject to the “Special Committee on Decolonization.” This is resisted by the British, who have ruled since 1833, a position supported by the islanders’ right to self-determination.

Argentina maintains that it rightfully inherited the territory from Spain and that the British took it back illegally by force, arguing that the settlers' will is irrelevant as they arrived with the British occupation. All Latin American countries support Argentina's claim on the Falkland Islands, while Canada supports the UK.