UK turned Malvinas into NATO nuclear base: Argentina

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has accused Britain of turning the disputed Malvinas Islands, known as the Falklands to the British, into a nuclear base for NATO.

Fernandez made the remarks while addressing an event marking the 32nd anniversary of the beginning of the war with Britain over the islands on Wednesday.

“The truth about Malvinas is that it constitutes the biggest NATO nuclear military base in the South Atlantic. This is the truth they cannot keep hiding,” the Argentine president told war veterans and supporters during the event.

As a result, the islands become one of the “most militarized areas in the world,” with more “military personnel than civilians,” she said.

Argentina and the UK fought a 74-day-long war in 1982 over the islands. The conflict ended with the British side claiming victory.

Located about 480 kilometers (300 miles) off Argentina’s coast, the Malvinas Islands have been declared part of the British overseas territories since the UK established its colonial rule on the territories in 1833.