The chief adviser to Argentine President Javier Milei has said Britain is being "colonized by Islam," using the election of a Muslim lawmaker in London to argue that Argentina should reclaim the Falkland Islands.
Santiago Caputo, one of Milei's closest political advisers, made the remarks in a social media post that the Argentine president later shared, according to a Guardian report.
Caputo cited the election of Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Labour MP who took her oath of allegiance on the Quran, as evidence of what he portrayed as the growing influence of Islam in Britain.
Caputo said that Islam's presence in the U.K. raised concerns about the future of Western influence in the South Atlantic. He linked his claims about British society to Argentina's longstanding sovereignty dispute over the islands.
In his statement on X, Caputo—who has worked for Milei since 2021—wrote that the "United Kingdom was, in many ways, the cradle of modern Western civilization." However, he added it now posed a threat to the West.
Caputo wrote: "Seeing the United Kingdom being colonised by Islam is not only an imminent risk to the cause of the west as a whole, but also a historical tragedy for those of us who defend the ideas of liberty.
"This is yet another reason why Argentina must firmly project itself toward the south Atlantic and reclaim the Las Malvinas [Argentina’s name for the Falklands]. Given the strategic geopolitical importance the south Atlantic will assume in the coming decades, the west cannot afford the encroachment of an Islamic state within that sphere of influence. Reclaiming the Malvinas is not merely a national cause, it is a cause for the west."
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Who Is Sagal Abdi-Wali?
Abdi-Wali was elected Labour MP for Holborn and St. Pancras in a by-election on October 8. She replaced former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who resigned as an MP in September.
Abdi-Wali defeated Green Party leader Zack Polanski to win the north London constituency, securing 12,292 votes to his 8,928, according to the U.K. Parliament.
Abdi-Wali, 43, came to Britain from Somalia as a child refugee and has lived in Camden since the 1990s.
Before entering Parliament, she served as leader of Camden Council, becoming its first Black female leader.
Footage of her using the Quran during her parliamentary oath-taking was seized upon by critics of Islam, including those whose posts were later circulated by Caputo.
Why Are Tensions Over the Falklands Rising?
The comments come amid a renewed push by Milei's government to challenge British control of the islands, which have been administered by the U.K. since 1833.
Argentina invaded the Falklands in April 1982. Britain—then led by Margaret Thatcher—then sent a military task force to retake them. The 74-day war ended with Argentina's surrender, but the sovereignty dispute has never been resolved.
In a 2013 referendum, 99.8 percent of participating Falkland Islanders voted to remain a British overseas territory.
The U.K. maintains that the islanders' right to self-determination is central to the dispute, while Argentina says that the islands were unlawfully taken from it.
Milei has renewed his country's claim in recent months, saying in September that the "winds of change" were favoring Argentina's position. His government has also threatened legal action against companies involved in oil exploration around the islands.
But the dispute has gained renewed significance because of the potential economic value of offshore energy reserves.
Milei's government filed an application with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg on Tuesday, seeking provisional measures to halt oil drilling.
Argentina said it wanted to preserve its "sovereign rights over its continental shelf and prevent activities authorized unilaterally and illegally by the United Kingdom."
But the U.K. rejects Argentina's position and has defended commercial oil activity around the islands.
British authorities have also asked Interpol to reject Argentine requests seeking the arrest of individuals connected to the offshore oil project, describing the requests as politically motivated.
The dispute has also drawn attention in Washington, where President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States could reconsider its position on the islands.
On August 31, Trump was asked whether his administration was reviewing the U.S. position on the Falklands. "I always review every position—that's just one of many," he said.
His remarks followed reports that officials in the U.S. administration had considered challenging Britain's sovereignty claim as a way to pressure London over defense spending and its support for U.S. military operations in Iran.
Trump did not announce a change in U.S. policy. However, his comments raised questions about whether Britain could continue to rely on Washington's support in the event of a renewed confrontation with Argentina.
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Oil Drilling Becomes a New Flashpoint
The dispute has taken on fresh urgency following the British government's approval of a major offshore oil development near the Falkland Islands, drawing an immediate legal response from Argentina.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has backed plans to develop the Sea Lion oil field, around 150 miles north of the islands. It is estimated to contain as many as 1.7 billion barrels of oil.
The project could begin producing oil as early as next year, potentially transforming the Falklands into a significant oil exporter.
Miliband condemned Argentina's "attempts to intimidate businesses and individuals engaged in legitimate commercial activity," following the country's application to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to halt oil drilling.
Miliband said: "Companies should be free to make lawful commercial decisions without the threat of political coercion.
"We will always stand up for the Falkland Islanders, their right to determine their own future, and their right to pursue legitimate economic development."
The Sea Lion development is being pursued by Navitas Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration. Navitas began drilling earlier this year and has plans for 23 wells in the northern part of the field, and the project estimates production of up to 180,000 barrels a day.
British Troops Rehearse Falklands Assault
Alongside the diplomatic confrontation, British troops were seen earlier this week conducting a landing exercise in the Falkland Islands. They rehearsed operations similar to those used to retake their territory from Argentine forces in 1982.
Around 150 soldiers from B Company, 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, joined approximately 100 locally recruited reservists for the six-day exercise, code-named Cape Upholder, according to The Telegraph, which cited The Times.
The training included an amphibious landing, a 20-mile march, a dawn raid on a communications facility and close-quarters combat exercises.
RAF Typhoon fighter jets provided simulated air support, while helicopters transported troops to locations near Port Stanley for further operations.
The exercise followed renewed threats from Milei, who has repeatedly insisted that the islands belong to Argentina. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Milei threatened "to take matters into our own hands" to assert Argentine sovereignty.
He also said that the islanders' right to self-determination did not apply because, in his view, their population had been established by the occupying power on disputed territory.
However, the Ministry of Defense cautioned against interpreting the exercise as a specific response to Argentina's latest threats.
"This was a routine military exercise. Every rotation of British troops in the Falklands conducts similar training as part of their deployment," a spokesperson said.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and James Debens