Argentina lodged a formal protest with the British embassy over the Argentine UK warship in Falklands dispute, saying HMS Medway moved near the Falkland Islands and entered waters Argentina claims as its own. The Argentine Foreign Ministry said the complaint followed the vessel’s movements earlier this month and came just hours after the World Cup semi-final.
Argentina’s note to the British embassy
The Argentine Foreign Ministry said it had sent a formal note of protest to the British embassy over HMS Medway. In the ministry’s words, “The Argentine Government firmly rejects this British military incursion into areas under Argentine jurisdiction.”
Argentina said HMS Medway was illegally stationed in the Malvinas Islands and that the ship made its way into Argentina’s waters earlier this month without telling the Argentines. The same statement said Britain was deepening tensions in the South Atlantic and said the Royal Navy was hindering Argentina’s efforts to move towards a peaceful and negotiated solution to the dispute.
Pablo Quirno and Victoria Villarruel
On Sunday, Pablo Quirno demanded Britain open talks on the sovereignty of the islands. Quirno also described the native Falkland Islanders as an “artificially implanted” population, sharpening the language around the dispute even as Argentina says it wants a peaceful and negotiated solution.
Victoria Villarruel added a second layer of pressure from inside Argentina’s leadership. She shared footage of soldiers invading the Falkland Islands last night and had branded England “usurping pirates” ahead of the game. Those remarks sat alongside the formal diplomatic note, showing how Argentina paired a negotiation message with forceful public language.
HMS Medway and the South Atlantic
HMS Medway arrived as the Royal Navy’s permanently deployed presence in the South Atlantic in January this year. HMS Medway replaced HMS Forth in the role of protecting the Falklands after serving in the Caribbean, placing the vessel at the center of a dispute that already covers the Falklands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the surrounding maritime areas.
Argentina this morning reaffirmed its sovereign rights over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the surrounding maritime areas, and said: “By history, by law, and by conviction, the Falkland Islands are Argentine.” The next move lies with the British embassy and the British military response to the protest over HMS Medway’s route and presence near the islands.
