Argentina criticises vote on Falklands

Argentina has rejected, even before it was known, the result of a referendum on the Falkland Islands. The 2,900 islanders, some 1,672 of whom were eligible to vote, were expected to vote overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory.

Argentina, which refers to the islands as Las Malvinas, claims them as its own. “This new British attempt to manipulate the Malvinas issue through a vote by the population that it implanted is forcefully rejected by Argentina,” said a ministry statement in Buenos Aires.

On the islands, however, people remain determined to decide their own future, which they wish to see continue under British protection. Rob McGill , guest house owner, said: “I consider myself a Falkland Islander, but my ancestors came from Britain.”