Key facts
- Adviser Santiago Caputo stated the UK is being "colonised by Islam".
- Caputo linked the election of MP Sagal Abdi-Wali to this claim.
- Caputo argued Argentina must reclaim the Falkland Islands for Western civilization.
- Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the Falklands, known as Las Malvinas.
- The UK stated Argentinian pressure on the Falklands issue is at its highest level since the 1982 war.
Santiago Caputo, a chief adviser to Argentinian President Javier Milei, claimed that the United Kingdom is being "colonised by Islam" and that this poses a threat to Western civilization. Caputo cited the recent election of Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Labour MP of Somali origin, to the UK parliament as evidence. He suggested this situation, coupled with the strategic geopolitical importance of the South Atlantic in the coming decades, necessitates Argentina firmly projecting itself toward the region and reclaiming the Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls Las Malvinas. Milei shared Caputo's statement on the social media platform X. Argentina has long sought sovereignty over the islands, and current Argentinian pressure is reportedly at a level not seen since the 1982 war. The UK government has reiterated its commitment to the wishes of the Falkland Islanders to remain British and announced measures to protect businesses operating there. The Foreign Office has also sought assurances from Interpol regarding potential detention requests for individuals working in the Falklands.