Milei adviser claims UK being ‘colonised by Islam’ as Falklands row grows

A union flag outside a property in Stanley, the Falkland Islands capital. Photograph: Sean Smith/The GuardianView image in fullscreenA union flag outside a property in Stanley, the Falkland Islands capital.

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleThe chief adviser to Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has cited the election of Sagal Abdi-Wali to the UK parliament as evidence of the Islamisation of Britain and further reason for Argentina to take sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

In a post on social media, Santiago Caputo, who is reportedly taking a key role in Argentina’s strategy over the Falklands, suggested that the taking of the south Atlantic islands was necessary to prevent the “interference of an Islamic state” in the region.

Milei shared Caputo’s post on the social media platform X.

The intervention from Buenos Aires comes at a moment of heightened tension between Argentina and the UK over the sovereignty of the British overseas territory, which is 300 miles off the South American coastline.

Abdi-Wali do Partido Trabalhista foi eleito como deputado pelo distrito de Holborn e St Pancras em Londres este mês, afastando a candidatura do líder do Partido Verde, Zack Polanski.

Ela tomou seu assento no parlamento na segunda-feira.

Milei has sought to criminalise executives involved in the Falkland Islands’ nascent oil industry and has threatened to target the fishing sector on which the islands’ economy depends.

Argentina has long sought sovereignty over the islands. The intensity of Argentinian pressure relating to the Falklands is at a level that UK officials say has not been seen since the war 44 years ago that followed the invasion ordered by the then Argentinian dictator, Gen Leopoldo Galtieri.

View image in fullscreenJavier Milei shared his adviser’s post on X. Photograph: Francisco Loureiro/ReutersThe 74-day conflict in 1982 ended with the surrender of the Argentinian forces and cost the lives of 649 of their military personnel, 255 British military personnel and three Falkland Islanders.

Esta semana, Andy Burnham reafirmou a posição do UK de que respeitaria o desejo dos 3,600 habitantes das ilhas de permanecer britânicos, e o governo anunciou sua intenção de proteger os interesses das empresas que trabalham nas Falklands.

The Guardian revealed that the Foreign Office had written to Interpol seeking assurance that the law enforcement agency would not respond favourably to requests for the detention of individuals working in the Falklands.

In his statement on X, Caputo – who has worked for Milei since 2021 – wrote that the “United Kingdom was, in many ways, the cradle of modern western civilisation” but that it now posed a threat to the west.

He wrote: “Seeing the United Kingdom being colonised by Islam is not only an imminent risk to the cause of the west as a whole, but also a historical tragedy for those of us who defend the ideas of liberty.

Caputo acompanhou sua postagem com uma imagem de Abdi‑Wali, ex‑refugiado infantil da Somália, sendo jurado no parlamento.

Sob a imagem, Javier Negre, jornalista espanhol de direita, comentou: “Aqui está uma mulher muçulmana somaliã prestando juramento no Alcorão no parlamento inglês.”.

She has taken the seat formerly held by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Islam is steadily gaining more power in the country.”.

In a 2013 referendum, 99. 8% of the Falkland Islands’ residents voted to remain a British territory, with only three votes against.