Colonial Arrogance and Militarization: UK Challenges Peace in the Falklands Once Again

In late October 2025, the United Kingdom conducted Operation Ex Cape Sword, a new military exercise in the Falkland Islands that included live-fire drills, air defence simulations, and troop deployments in areas near Port Stanley.

Under the pretext of routine training, London is consolidating a permanent military presence that challenges United Nations resolutions, which urge the parties to refrain from unilateral acts that alter the situation in the South Atlantic or deepen the wounds left open since the 1982 Falklands War.

Far from being simple routine manoeuvres, these operations reflect a strategy of colonial power aimed at reaffirming British control over a territory that remains a sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and the Argentine Republic.

During the exercises, the Sky Sabre anti-aircraft system—one of the most modern weapons in the British arsenal, capable of intercepting multiple targets simultaneously—was tested once again. The use of this system in occupied territory is no coincidence: the Islands serve as a strategic platform for military projection in the South Atlantic, a key point for monitoring maritime routes and for NATO’s presence in the southern hemisphere.

This picture is compounded by the consistent historical support of the United States for London, both during the 1982 war and within the current Atlantic security architecture. This logistical, political, and technological support remains in force within a framework where Washington, NATO, and the United Kingdom seek to reaffirm their military influence in the face of a continent attempting to build regional autonomy.

In this context, the political and military rapprochement between Chile and the United Kingdom is also a cause for concern, manifested in recent cooperation agreements and official visits. This alliance not only discomforts Argentina but also raises questions about Chile’s role in a scenario where British militarism is being normalized and Latin American sovereignty is being relativized.

It can also be added that journalist Horacio Verbitsky revealed on his program “El Cohete a la Luna” (“Rocket to the Moon”, November 2, 2025) that in circles close to Javier Milei’s government, a potential negotiation with the United States and Donald Trump was discussed. The alleged deal would see the UK transfer the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands to Argentina, in exchange for allowing the installation of an US military base in Port Stanley. According to Verbitsky, this operation would be presented as a “sovereignty recovery,” though in practice it would imply a new form of strategic dependence on Washington.

Repeating warlike exercises in a disputed territory contributes neither to security nor to peace. On the contrary, it constitutes a demonstration of colonial power —the enduring ghost of an empire that refuses to fade— and a message of domination in the 21st century. The Malvinas remain an open wound in Latin American history, and every missile tested on its soil is a stark reminder.

To normalize military manoeuvres in the archipelago means to accept the occupation as a fait accompli. Therefore, the international community must firmly and urgently condemn this new act of British militarization, which not only offends Argentina but also threatens the peace and sovereignty of all Latin America.

Sources:

Félix Madariaga Leiva