Last Monday, I asked one of my friends from Movimiento Sur if we had any stickers that I could use. He pulled out two, “Binner, Presidente” and “Malvinas Argentinas Siempre” Malvinas, Forever Argentine
Las Islas Malvinas, better known in the English-speaking world as the Falkland Islands, are one thing that almost-all Argentines will wholeheartedly agree upon. Ever since the British illegally took them in 1833, Argentines have not for one minute eased their grip on the issue. Every Argentine border crossing has a giant sign which says “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” The Malvinas are Argentine. Every map purchased in Argentina reads “Las Islas Malvinas (Arg.),” with no indication that the islands are in fact governed by the UK. For the longest time, this issue did not make any sense to me. There are no comparable cases in the world. The population is overwhelmingly British, (1% Argentine) and 1833 was so, so long ago. After almost 180 years, why can’t they just let go and let life go on?
Then a couple weeks ago, someone mentioned to me the visa issue. Until quite recently, (5-10ish years) it was nearly impossible for Argentines to travel to the Malvinas for tourism. It still is nearly impossible for Argentines to move there. Compare this to the ease with which I or a Briton could move to Argentina. The ease with which we could receive citizenship. Not only is this relationship not reciprocated for Argentines wishing to move to the US or the UK, it is not reciprocated for Argentines wishing to move to their own islands.
The Malvinas are Argentine: geographically, historically, culturally. They are not indigenous, as they were uninhabited upon European discovery. They are not British. They belong to Argentina, just as America belongs to its indigenous peoples. This is no to say that everyone else must leave, just to say that these considerations ought to have some precedence in how we conduct our affairs.
1833 was a long time ago, but that doesn’t mean we should just pretend it didn ´t happen. There is right and there is wrong. Excluding Argentines from the Malvinas plainly falls into the latter category; the islands are not the exclusive domain of the British. To quote my sticker, “who here speaks of forgetting, of giving up, of forgiveness.” Malvinas Argentinas Siempre.