MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina accuses PM Cameron of “military threats” regarding the Falklands

Cameron also said he hopes Cristina Fernandez will listen to the Falklands’ March referendum (Photo BBCTv)

The Argentine Foreign Ministry rejected the recent “military threats” coming from British Prime Minister David Cameron in relation to the UK’s “illegal occupation of the Falklands/Malvinas Islands” that began 180 years ago.

“The aggressiveness present in the British Prime Minister’s words ratify the complaint filed by the Argentine Republic before the United Nations regarding the militarization of the South Atlantic and the possible presence of nuclear weapons brought by the colonial power,” the ministry said in a statement.

The government office also added that the Argentine population “urges Mr. David Cameron not to make use of the peaceful and legitimate claims we make against the usurpation of part of our territory and colonialism as an excuse to maintain the arms industry instead of solving the severe social crisis Europe is going through.”

“People need more employment and less war,” the statement reads calling on PM Cameron’s government to abide UN resolutions.

The Argentine government was reacting to strong statements from Cameron who in an interview with BBC1 said he was willing to fight a war to keep the Falklands.

PM Cameron said the UK has one of the five largest defence budgets in the world and given the circumstances it is essential that the UK keeps aircraft and troops stationed in the Falklands.

The UK Prime Minister said he’s “absolutely clear” that Britain would defend the Islands in the face of mounting pressure from Argentina, insisting that the British government would “do everything to protect the interests of the Islanders.”

”The future of the Falklands should be determined by the Falkland Islanders themselves - the people who live there,“ said Cameron.

A referendum on the Falklands' political status is to be held in March.

Likewise, Cameron said: ”Whenever they have been asked their opinion, they say they want to maintain their current status with the United Kingdom.

“They're holding a referendum this year and I hope the president of Argentina will listen to that referendum and recognise it is for the Falkland Islanders to choose their future, and as long as they choose to stay with the United Kingdom they have my 100% backing.”

President Cristina Fernandez in an open letter published is the London media 3 January said the Malvinas were forcibly stripped from Argentina in “a blatant exercise of 19th Century colonialism”.

Argentina's view is that the referendum is illegitimate and will have no bearing on their claim because they see the Islanders as occupiers, rather than residents.