The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, led this Tuesday (2) the central event for the 42nd anniversary of the Day of the Veteran and those killed in the Falklands War against the United Kingdom, where the president claimed the sovereignty of the islands and asked that the veterans were not a “monopoly” in politics.
“The best tribute to those who gave their lives for our country is to defend the unshakable claim to Argentine sovereignty over the Falklands, South Georgia, the South Sandwich and the surrounding maritime spaces,” said Milei at the beginning of his speech at the Cenotaph of the Dead of Buenos Aires.
The head of state was accompanied by the vice-president, Victoria Villaruel, who was visibly moved during the tribute to the hundreds of Argentine soldiers killed in combat and the thousands of ex-combatants who survived, including his deceased father.
“I don’t want respect for the Armed Forces and the heroes of the Falklands to be a monopoly of a political space. That is why I appeal to society and leaders to inaugurate on April 2nd a new era of reconciliation with the Armed Forces that transcends this government”, added Milei.
In this sense, the Argentine president appealed to the heads of the three forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) and veterans to be “witnesses and guarantors” of the May Pact, a document of consensus between the different political actors in the country, which he intends to sign with the 23 governors and the mayor of Buenos Aires on May 25th, in the province of Córdoba.
On April 2, 1982, Argentina – then governed by a military junta – seized the islands through an amphibious landing, which caused no enemy or civilian casualties, capturing and deporting the British garrison.
After three months of intense land, sea and air combat, the last Argentine military dictatorship signed its surrender on June 14 of the same year. The war left a total of 649 Argentines, 255 British and three civilians dead.
Since the end of the war and under uninterrupted democracy, the United Kingdom has rejected Argentine claims to the sovereignty of the islands and surrounding maritime spaces, despite repeated calls for dialogue by the United Nations and other international organizations.
Another tribute is planned at Casa Rosada, the seat of government, where the name of the Hall of Original Peoples should be changed to something related to the feat. In addition, Villarruel will participate in mass at the Buenos Aires Cathedral and launch an agenda called “Malvinas Week” in the Senate.
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