Shock: Argentina Accuses Britain of ‘Cheap Nationalism’

After the announcement this week that Britain would be boosting the defence of the Falkland Islands, senior figures in the Argentine government have protested their innocence in the matter, and have insisted the move was purely for electoral purposes.

Speaking to local radio, Argentine foreign secretary Hector Timerman claimed the government had been “committed to dialogue and international law” since Argentina’s failed invasion of the Falklands archipelago in 1982. Since military defeat at the hands of a British taskforce, Argentina has repeatedly brought the case of what they call ‘Las Malvinas’ up in international bodies, so important are the Islands to their national pride.

The Times reports Argentina will yet again bring the matter up with the United Nations and the Decolonisation Committee. Another senior member of the Argentine government accused the British of blatant electioneering, remarking “They’re facing elections so they resort to cheap nationalism to put all of British society on tenterhooks over a military matter”.

Breitbart London reported earlier this week on the proposed defence boost to the islands, made by defence secretary Michael Fallon first on television and later in Parliament. He said on Tuesday morning: “We have been reviewing our defence arrangements of the Falklands where there is obviously a continuing threat even 30 years after the Falklands war”.

When asked, Fallon failed to deny the re-enforcements had something to do with the rumoured defence deal mooted between Argentina and Russia. Under the deal Argentina, which has a surplus of food but a shortage of military equipment, would swap beef and wheat for Sukhoi SU-24 fighter-bombers with Russia, who have a food shortage and a glut of last-generation aircraft.

A 2013 referendum asking Falkland Islanders whether they wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom was returned with 99.8 percent answering ‘yes’.