Argentina has taken the unprecedented step of appointing a secretary for the Malvinas, a role designed to assert pressure on the British and international governments with the aim of placing the Falklands under control of Buenos Aires.
Daniel Filmus, 58, took office this week and has been tasked to push Argentina’s claim over the disputed territory in the South Atlantic.
Daniel Filmus was sworn into his new position in Monday
Following a swearing in ceremony in the Argentine capital on Monday, Filmus made his potion clear: "It is unacceptable that in the 21st century Argentina is unable to take decisions over its entire territory and that a part of this territory is being occupied by a colonial power."
The country's Foreign Secretary Hector Timerman offered similar sentiments following the appointment: "Never before in Argentina's history has this matter, a question of territorial integrity, occupied such an important place in a government and we are very pleased that the president has elected none other than Daniel Filmus as secretary.”
A 2013 referendum on the Falkland’s sovereignty resulted in 99% of the islanders voting to remain British, a ballot that Buenos Aires immediately dismissed.
The British Foreign Office told The Telegraph newspaper: “We are aware of the appointment of Daniel Filmus, but this does not affect our position nor the position of the Falkland Islands people, who voted to remain British by 99.8 per cent in last year’s referendum.
"The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime areas, nor about the Falkland Islanders’ right to decide their own future, the right of self-determination as enshrined in the UN Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”