Why All the Attention on the Falklands? Five Key Questions. - What Are the Falkland Islands?
Latin America’s colonial past still rankles many a resident. Last week a pedicurist in Mexico City told me she would never want a Spanish boyfriend because “the Spaniards conquered and pillaged us.” Though such sentiments rarely reach the diplomatic level nowadays, Argentina and Britain’s war of words over the Falkland Islands is an exception.
The two nations fought a brief but bitter war over sovereignty of the islands 30 years ago, leading to more than 900 casualties. No one expects another military confrontation, but tensions reached a fever pitch this week when Britain announced it would send some of its most modern warships to the islands. Prince William, who is a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot, will be deployed there for six weeks.
“Argentines are saddened that Prince William will arrive on our soil in the uniform of a conquistador, and not with the wisdom of a statesman who works for peace and dialogue between nations,” said Argentina’s foreign ministry.