Argentine protesters hung a banner outside the Casa Rosada. Which call for the withdrawal of the English in the country. REUTERS

• Falkland Islands crisis

The presence of a British destroyer in the archipelago increases tension in the Latin American country

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (09/FEB/2012)-Argentina is attentive and vigilant to the military presence of Britain in the Falkland Islands and has the ability to defend themselves against an eventual attack on its continental territory, warned Argentine Defense Minister amid growing diplomatic tension between the two countries over sovereignty of the archipelago.

“We do not have a pro-military position or we are preparing any kind of force,” said Arturo Puricelli and reiterated that the Argentine Government will continue to claim Falklands sovereignty through diplomatic channels.

“The English have to be sure that in Argentina we do tolerate in Falkland, but if they come to mainland Argentine () does not have the slightest doubt that we will exercise our legitimate right of defence and have ability and what do”.

The official made these statements then that President Cristina Fernandez announced that Argentina will present a formal complaint against Great Britain before the United Nations Security Council by what he described as an attempt to “weaponize” the South Atlantic from sending a warship to the Malvinas.

“We are attentive and vigilant to any armed force that can threaten our national defense, our interests, our sovereignty and our jurisdiction.” “That is the directive given by the President of the nation,” said the Minister of defence.

Great Britain sent weeks ago the warship HMS Dauntless Falklands – to which the English call Falklands – in an operation that the Secretary of Exterior William Hague described as a routine but warned that the British Navy “knows hit very hard”.

According to the British press, it would also be underway a nuclear submarine. The information was not confirmed or denied by the Government of that country.

President Fernandez stated that “militarization” of the South Atlantic from Great Britain “implies a serious threat to peace in the region”.

For Puricelli “the English what they are doing is a bravuconada to sustain its military budget and justify to their taxpayers move a destroyer as that you have sent to Falkland Islands, are thousands and thousands of pounds that are unnecessarily spending”.

According to the Minister, the aim is to “see if we fall into the temptation to bring this conflict to the field of weapons.” They have the security that does not… “We won’t access any provocation”.

The British Government ruled out any negotiation with Argentina on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless the inhabitants of the archipelago so request.

A spokesman for the British Prime Minister David Cameron stepped in to the signs.

“We do not we are militarize the South Atlantic.” “Our defensive posture in the Falkland Islands (as the Falklands are known in English) remains unchanged,” said the spokesman.    

Meanwhile, Secretary attached to Western Hemisphere Affairs of United States, Roberta Jacobson, of visit in Peru, said that “in the subject of Argentina and England we have the same position, that clearly is a problem of two of our partners”.

The British Ministry of defence, which rejects the Argentine claim of sovereignty over the Islands, said recently that the decision to send the destroyer to the South Atlantic to replace another ship was a measure which was planned since before and that it was “entirely of routine”.  

To know
Power struggle

The tension between the two countries has grown on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the war and since Mercosur, composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, decided last December to block entry into its ports of vessels with flag of the Falklands Islands (Malvinas), extent to which also joined other Nations in the region.

Argentina claims the sovereignty of the islands occupied by Britain since 1833, and whereby both countries played a war in 1982.