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Buenos Aires has unveiled its plot to wrestle back control of the British Overseas Territory in a strongly worded statement where it asked the UK to resume bilateral negotiations on the sovereignty of the Malvinas Island. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Wednesday on the 191 anniversary of the creation of the Falkland Islands and Political Command.

They said: “Argentina permanently exercised its rights over the islands” but “on January 3, 1833, the effective exercise of sovereignty was interrupted by an act of force by the United Kingdom, which expelled the Argentine authorities and the people of the islands”.

The ministry said that “through this usurpation, the territorial integrity of Argentina was broken, a situation that no Argentine government has consented to in more than 187 years of history”.

The Argentine government said the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is still up for discussion, despite Britain claiming it 187 years ago – and winning a war over the territory in 1982.

It urged for the UK to resume bilateral negotiations on the sovereignty of the archipelago to “give a definitive solution to this colonial situation.”

The Foreign Ministry said: “The need to resume bilateral negotiations as soon as possible has been reiterated by 10 resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and 37 resolutions of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization.”

It comes as Argentine Defence Minister Rossi called for Argentina to “intensify” its claim over the islands.

Mr Rossi assured said discussions should be focused on “an intensification of the claim in diplomatic matters”.

Speaking in Ushuaia at a ceremony to mark to the fallen during the Falkland Islands War, Mr Rossi said: “The government of President Alberto Fernández has taken up one of the best policies in this area that former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has carried out, which is to re-claim the sovereignty of the Malvinas in all international forums.

“We wanted to be today in the province that has territorial jurisdiction over the Malvinas. Our reaffirmation of sovereign rights is permanent.”

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The two historic foes have been embroiled in a long-running diplomatic spat over the islands, which have been under British control since 1833.

Argentina’s 1982 invasion sparked a war which left around 650 Argentine soldiers and 255 British dead.

It ended with the surrender of the Argentine troops a few weeks later.

Argentine forces invaded the Falklands – known in Spanish as Islas Malvinas – and so Margaret Thatcher led the British military to defend the British Overseas Territory.

Britain won, but tensions have remained over the Island’s sovereignty ever since.

Since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, Buenos Aires has tried to steer the lead in the remote British Overseas Territory by the back door.

In 2013, a referendum asking whether the Falkland islanders supported the continuation of their status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom prompted an almost unanimous response from the island’s inhabitants.

On a turnout of 92 percent, an overwhelming 99.8 percent voted to remain a British territory, with only three votes against.

Additional reporting by Maria Ortega

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