Argentina’s President, Cristina Kirchner, stated today. “The sovereign claim to the Malvinas Islands is inalienable,” in a speech marking the 26th anniversary of Argentina’s ill-fated invasion of the two islands 480km offshore.

For those of you who are geographically inept - we’re talking about the Falkland Islands. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said of the conflict:

This nation had the resolution to do what it knew had to be done—to do what it knew was right.

We fought to show that aggression does not pay and that the robber cannot be allowed to get away with his swag. We fought with the support of so many throughout the world. The Security Council, the Commonwealth, the European Community, and the United States. Yet we also fought alone—for we fought for our own people and for our own sovereign territory.

The April 2, 1982 invasion by Argentina prompted the British to deploy naval forces to retake the Falklands.

They did so, resulting in Argentina’s surrender on June 14 after the death of 649 Argentines and 255 Britons.

Historians saw the invasion as an attempt by Argentina’s ruling military junta then in power to divert attention from domestic problems.

Ms Kirchner’s comment came as she faces her own woes, battling against farmers who have barricaded roads in a protest against a stiff tax hike on soybean exports. The conflict has created shortages of meat and other staples in Buenos Aires and elsewhere, and tested the social fabric, with pro- and anti-government supporters holding dueling rallies. Ms Kirchner, in her speech, called for Argentina to strengthen its representation in international fora to denounce “this shameful colonial enclave in the 21st century”.

Her vice president, Julio Cobos, said in the southern city of Rio Grande that “we must recover this territory that is ours, that belongs to us.”

My advice to the Argentinians - the UK forces will clean their clocks if they attempt to retake that island. To quote “Maggie” again, “Britain found herself again in the South Atlantic and will not look back from the victory she has won.”