The UK dominated as the key generating market for tourism in 2011 according to new data released by the Falkland Islands Tourist Board (FITB). Last year land-based tourism from the UK was up 5% to a total of 4.164 arrivals (this figure does not include cruise arrivals).
Top Argentine Air Force officers admitted that since the Malvinas war the force never recovered its operational capacity, but in spite of the shortcomings and budget cuts the new generations of military pilots are completing their training and flying hours ‘normally’ even when the press reported to the contrary.
Brazil collaborated during the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict in an operation mounted by the Soviets to supply Argentina with spares, arms, munitions and other requirements according to the Rio do Janeiro newspaper O’Globo based on disclosed documents from the National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the this 30th anniversary year of the armed conflict between British and Argentine forces it is not surprising that we have seen, and will continue to see, increased numbers of veterans from both sides arriving in the Falkland Islands.
According to a piece from the Financial Times Britain is chasing £45m of debt owed by the Argentine government that was lent to the military Junta in 1979 and used, in part, to buy weapons that were later used during the Falkland Islands in 1982.
It is a well known and admitted fact that the Chilean regime of General Augusto Pinochet provided very useful intelligence to the British effort to recover the occupied Falkland Islands in 1982.
On the 30th anniversary of the South Atlantic conflict, the member of the Royal Navy who was responsible for coordinating the attack on the Argentina Navy cruiser “General Belgrano” spoke to UK-based newspaper “The News,” in Portsmouth and explained the steps that led up to the attack that caused 323 deaths and why it was justified at the time.
The University of London’s Institute of Historical Research (IHR) announced that on 19 and 20 May, 2012 it will be holding a two day conference on: The Falklands War: Thirty Years On.
President Cristina Fernandez has finally declassified a scathing review of the mistakes made by Argentina's military junta in going to war with Britain in 1982 trying to recover the Falkland Islands.
In his memoirs, former UK Defence Secretary Sir John Nott describes France as Britain's greatest ally during the Falklands War. However, formerly secret papers and other evidence seen by the BBC show that was not the full story. Before the war, France sold Argentina's military junta five Exocet missiles.