When I lived in Patagonia, there was a joke among Argentina’s classical liberals. “¿Dónde viven los argentinos libres?” (Where do free Argentineans live?) “¡Las Islas Malvinas!“ they laughed.
The Malvinas are what Argentineans call the Falkland Islands, which is a UK territory in free association. The joke struck a chord because it captured two truths: (1) Argentineans see Falklands residents as compatriots, but (2) the Islanders are noticeably better off beyond the grasp of Argentina’s National Congress.
The first point stretches logic since the UK-citizen Islanders or Kelpers speak English and have British lineage. However, Argentina is hardly known for forthright communication. With predominantly Italian and Spanish lineage, the country is crippled by corruption. Argentina cannot even crack the top 100 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index and sits between Zambia and Belize.
The joke’s second point, however, makes perfect sense. Despite meritorious classical-liberal intellectuals and a vibrant liberty-minded community, Argentina has for generations struggled with protectionism, trade unionism, and rampant inflation. The world has passed her by, and Argentina is a perennial cellar dweller for economic freedom. Incumbent paleolibertarian President Javier Milei is a stark outlier among the nation’s political leaders.
Argentina’s odd juxtaposition towards the Falklands intrigued me during my runs through the middle of Neuquén. The remote and impoverished provincial capital, near the Southern Andes, had a monument in the center of town that remains etched in my mind. A Falklands map—hovering on a reflection pool, painted sky blue and white—declared the Malvinas part of Argentina. It also paid respect to the military men who died in the failed Falklands War of 1982.
Milei has this month taken a keen interest in asserting sovereignty over the Falklands, catalyzed by potentially lucrative oil extraction. This has generated news because Israeli officials are on Argentina’s side, allegedly to spite the British for sanctions against ethnic displacement in the West Bank.
