Argentina’s President Javier Milei Praises Margaret Thatcher As ‘Brilliant’ In BBC Interview

Milei’s comments follow David Cameron’s assetion that the islands’ sovereignty was non-negotiable. (GDA via AP Images)

Argentina’s President Javier Milei praised former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as “brilliant” and vowed that any ambition to gain the territory in the future would be sought within a “framework of peace.”

Milei’s remarks came during an interview with the BBC surrounded by Thatcher memorabilia, reflecting his unexpected admiration for the Iron Lady who led Britain during the Falklands War—a conflict that remains a sensitive relational issue between Argentina and the UK.

The fiery populist, dubbed El Loco, took a rare stance among Argentine leaders by acknowledging that the Falkland Islands, or Malvinas as known in Argentina, are currently under British control. This is a significant pivot from Argentina’s longstanding claim to the islands.

Asked if he still admired Thatcher despite her historical decision to sink the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano, which killed 323 people, he said: “Criticising someone because of their nationality or race is very intellectually precarious… I have heard lots of speeches by Margaret Thatcher. She was brilliant. So what’s the problem?”

His comments follow a recent visit by the Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron to the Falklands, where he emphasised that the islands’ sovereignty was non-negotiable and reaffirmed their status as “a valued part of the British family.”

President Milei said: “If that territory is now in the hands of the UK, he has a right to do that. I don’t see that as a provocation… We are not going to relinquish our sovereignty, nor are we going to seek conflict with the United Kingdom.”

He added: “They might not want to negotiate today. At some later point they might want to. Many positions have changed over time.”

Milei said that transferring the Falklands from British to Argentinian control would “take time” and require “long-term negotiation.”

The president’s approach signals a potential shift in the regional dynamics and hints at a long-term strategy to reclaim the islands peacefully, challenging decades of tense relations marked by the 1982 conflict.

The ten-week war following the Argentinian invasion resulted in significant casualties on both sides and solidified the islands’ residents’ resolve to remain British, a stance demonstrated in a 2013 referendum.