Can Argentina find a way to constructively engage with the people of the Falkland Islands?

The Falklands have again attracted international media attention, with British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon accessThe move might have been provocative under Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, but Argentina made no fuss as the new government took over – while Fallon made headlines by suggesting the biggest threat to the Falklands’ future was British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Perhaps the relative calm of Argentina’s new government during Fallon’s visit suggests an opportunity for real engagement between the Falklands and Argentina. Mauricio Macri After the election of Argentina’s president in December 2015, the country undertook some review of its policy towards the Falkland Islands (known as the Malvinas in Argentina), which had become Extreme Hawkish The reigns of Nestor Fernández de Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

from Islanders There’s some left British commentatorArgentina’s hardline approach to resolving sovereignty issues has completely backfired. In recent years, Buenos Aires’ aggressive rhetoric has been closely tied to the British Prime Minister’s Solid defense The right of islanders to self-determination.

Apparently, the three parties (Argentina, the Falkland Islands Government and the United Kingdom) No meaningful conversationIndeed, life on the island has been difficult for the past 12 years, as Argentina has been destroying Transaction Link and Oil exploration program.

Paradoxically, this approach guarantees a degree of security for the Falkland Islanders. Military Presence When Argentina invaded in 1982, this aid was woefully inadequate.StranglingThese measures have inspired the islanders, who are now showing unprecedented confidence.

This confidence was on full display in 2013, when they Organized a referendum As for the future of the islands, they voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory.

It was a global media coup for the islanders and David Cameron continues to refer to it at almost any turn. Any statement Related to islands.

At the same time, some in Argentina, especially those who strongly opposed Supporters of the previous governmentstressing the success of its diplomatic activities and noting that the country bilateral, area and International Despite their grandeur, these diplomatic overtures produced nothing substantial—except driving the islanders further away from Argentina and strengthening Britain’s resolve to protect them.

So close, yet so far

With such a diplomatic gulf between the two governments, efforts to bring Argentina and the Falkland Islanders closer together have largely stalled. Citizen-led initiatives Missiles fired from Argentina have always been viewed with great suspicion because the Argentine government has sought to use the connections and similarities between the islands and southern Argentina as part of its strategy. Sovereignty claim.

For example, the Museum of the Malvinas Islands, inaugurated in Buenos Aires in 2014, has a section dedicated to various South Atlantic native animals to illustrate how they migrate between the islands’ coastal areas and Argentina—a strange way to emphasize Argentina’s “natural” sovereignty over the islands.

Argentina even anddrawing imaginary bridges between the Falkland Islands, Antarctica and the South American continent.

The Argentine government also called on some citizen To illustrate history Family Connections The ulterior purpose of the dispute between the archipelago and Argentina is once again to emphasize its sovereignty claims.

These links began as agricultural and trade links in the early 19th century and continued in various forms until the outbreak of hostilities in 1982, but have been restricted in recent years. Argentine Still living on the island, a few islanders chose to go to Argentina and study.

Exploiting these human and environmental interactions for geopolitical gain does not help build trust and cross-community understanding. And, like many of Argentina’s recent strategies regarding the Falklands, it will continue to have the opposite effect. Rather than encouraging peaceful, productive relations between citizens, this approach to history only fosters silence and mistrust—particularly among the islanders.

Lend a helping hand

If civil dialogue is to take place in the South Atlantic region, a different approach is needed. While Argentina’s new government may provide the political climate for gradual change, Macri promises Compliance with the Constitution requires the recovery of the Falkland Islands and other South Atlantic territories.

Is Argentina now in a position to acknowledge the Falklands’ unique social, political and cultural factors, as well as a shared regional history, in a way that is not driven by territorial desires? Moving away from the Kirchner-era obsession with emphasizing similarities and connections between communities would be particularly beneficial.

To increase the chances of dialogue, Argentina must be willing to understand and accommodate the Falkland Island community. The government should heed the example of Argentinian journalist Natasha Niebitskikwiat, whose book Seaweed Strives to help people understand the Falkland Islands from the perspective of local residents.

The damage to bilateral relations between the Falkland Islands and Argentina in recent years, coupled with Argentina’s attempts to construct a geopolitical justification for its sovereignty, has made the islanders reluctant to engage in any kind of dialogue. It is time for Argentina to show them that it is willing to understand its neighbor – without any geopolitical strings attached.