@nooneinparticular Said
I'd like to point out that just because Chile signed a trade deal that was effectively the same one as they had when the UK was part of the EU, does not prove that Jennifer was lying when she said that Argentina is heavily lobbying the other South American countries to put control of the Falklands on the trade negotiation table.
Just because it didn't work with Chile doesn't mean that Argentina is not pressuring the other countries.
She said:
"Argentina is lobbying ALL the South American nations to insist that if Britain attempts to woo them with trade deals, then sovereignty of the Falkland Islands must be put on the negotiationg table. Spain, which has influence in South America, is putting its weight behind this lobbying. It seems pretty certain that if it meant getting trade for England and Wales, Westminster would sell the Falklanders out without batting an eyelid."
Breaking her statement down (which is presented as fact):
"Argentina is lobbying ALL the South American nations to insist that if Britain attempts to woo them with trade deals, then sovereignty of the Falkland Islands must be put on the negotiationg table."
I would love to see evidence of this lobbying. Would Argentina seriously try and lobby ALL South American nations (including countries like Venezuela with whom they currently have a very poor relationship) re linking individual trade deals with the sovereignty of the Falklands? If anyone has any evidence of this I would love to see it. Why would any South American country be prepared to jeopardise a potential trade deal with one of the world's largest economies for the sake of Argentina?
Note, there are only 4 countries in the Mercosur at present. One should also note that Macri is much more moderate than his predecessor.
"Spain, which has influence in South America, is putting its weight behind this lobbying."
Refer to Argentina
"It seems pretty CERTAIN that if it meant getting trade for England and Wales, Westminster would sell the Falklanders out without batting an eyelid."
This is truly absurd. At the last G20 summit (2018) the UK publicly reaffirmed their position that the Falklands would remain under British rule. In recent times the U.K. Foreign Office has stated: "There is NO question of changing the status of the Falklands post Brexit. The U.K. government has been clear that our overseas territories, including the Falklands, will retain their current relationship with the U.K. after we leave the EU."
Note:
- Falkland Islanders are British citizens under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983.
- In the 2013 Falkland Islands sovereignty referendum 99.80% of Islanders voted to remain an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.
In short there is simply nothing to suggest that the UK would "sell the Falklanders out without batting an eyelid". There is however plenty to very strongly suggest that, for the UK, the issue of sovereignty over the islands is not up for discussion.