Letters

Falklands Is. (Islas Malvinas) history update

February 11, 2012

Dear sir:

I have seen your website, in particular the page about the Falklands Is. (Islas Malvinas) where the text reads:

"Now it was the turn of the British, who in 1766 set up a British Colony on Saunders Island at Port Egmont off West Falkland Island, now they tried to eject the French from Port Louis, but they had in turn handed over this area to the Spanish who renamed it Puerto Soledad.

"Now in 1770, the British are forced to leave Port Egmont, but Spain had a change of heart in the following year allowing the British to return. Until the 19th. Century these Islands remained as the Spanish Colony of Islas Malvinas.

"As noted earlier, Argentina gaining independence from Spain in 1816 claimed this off shore territory as legitimately belonging to them.

"Britain colonises Falklands.
Not withstanding any claims by Argentina, Britain went ahead in 1842, declaring a Colonial Administration over the Falklands, which at that stage had strategic usefulness because of their proximity to Magellan Straits with its passage from the South Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean via Cape Horn. In 1845 the town of Stanley was established, and Britain has remained ever since."

The text skips an important piece of history, where England and Spain came to an agreement during the Nootkca Convention and avoided a war because the sovereign over the islands. Spain effectively occupied the islands until
1811 where, due to the French occupation in Spain and deteriorating political situation forced them to leave. By 1816 the then United Provinces (previous name of Argentina) declared independence from the Spanish Crown and occupied the islands on 1820. In 1823, Great Britain recognized the United Provinces as an independent government. By 1833,
the British fleet came back and occupied the islands. The Argentine representative (José María Pinedo, captain of Goleta Sarandí) protested and was forced to leave as he had no means to resist the overwhelming military force.

The rest of the text seems to be fine and have no observations, except that the war in 1982 was, as most wars, an unnecessary waste of blood, a cause of division between two countries that except this issue have been traditionally on the same side. Let us not forget the 600+ Argentine volunteers that fought during WWI and WWII against
Britain's enemies.

Kind Rgds,
Juan Contreras
Sydney

 
TK,

At our URL  : The Falkland Islands War, 1982.

Will you please add these comments?

Mac.


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