Remembering The Malvinas War

Today we remember the events of 2 April 1982 which marked the begining of the Malvinas War. 

The war is commemorated in Argentina as Día del Veterano de Guerra y los Caídos en Malvinas (Veterans and fallen soldiers of the Malvinas Day), a public holiday in Argentina, celebrated each year on April 2. It is sometimes referred to as Malvinas Day.  

The holiday is a tribute to Argentina’s fallen soldiers in the Malvinas War, which began with the Argentine occupation of the Islands on 2 April 1982.  

In Britain, those who lost their lives are remembered as part of Remembrance Sunday. 

The Malvinas, which to those in English speaking countries are better known as the Falkland Islands, are an archipelago in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, located some 300 miles (485 kilometres) from the coast of South America. They are some 670 miles (1080 km) West of the Shag Rocks – South Georgia), and 585 miles (940 km) North of Elephant Island (Antarctica). They consist of two main islands, East and West Malvina, together with about 700 smaller islands. Puerto Argentino (Port Stanley), on East Malvina, is the capital and the largest city. The islands are a self-governing overseas territory of the UK, but have been the subject of a claim by Argentina since the early years of Argentina’s independence from Spain. 

For those personally involved in the war, and their families, today will bring back sad and painful memories. In Britain, the Malvinas Islands and in Argentina, the families of the fallen will be reflecting on the events of 1982. Two hundred and fifty five British servicemen, three Malvinas Islanders as well as six hundred and forty nine Argentine servicemen lost their lives in the war. Many more were wounded, physically and mentally. Some will never recover.  

For many years, Islanders have welcomed next of kin visits from both Britain and Argentina. Only last October, under the auspices of the Argentine Families Commission, three hundred and seventy five relatives visited the Malvinass to rededicate the Argentine cemetery at Darwin. It is right and proper that these visits should continue. 

Many veterans from both sides have also visited the Malvinas Islands to ease the pain of that conflict. 

According to the Constitution of Argentina, the Malvinas cause is a matter waived by Argentine people.