Interviewer
Prime Minister, first of all I want to thank you very much for sparing the time to talk to us. You have a very wide audience in nine countries in Latin America and this does include the United States, where we also transmit to Spanish speaking radio stations there and we have some questions we would like to put to you which have been brought to our attention as concern in Latin America. You are now involved in a crisis with Argentina over the Falklands which is having its effect on British relations with the rest of Latin America. Is the government concerned about this and what action is it taking to improve its position in Latin America?
Mrs. Thatcher
Of course I am concerned but the crisis was not of our making, Argentina invaded the Falkland islands, Britain is the victim, Argentina is the aggressor and I think that most countries in Latin America realise that and have really condemned the use of force in these circumstances. They also know that aggression of this kind just mustn't succeed because there are so many territorial disputes in Latin America and if this one were allowed to succeed then there'd be many many peoples who really feared what would be their future. It has been particularly disappointing and sad for me that this has happened because we've been trying to do so much to improve our relationships with the Latin American countries, after all it was the government which I lead that restored diplomatic relations with the Argentine. As you know we have an old and traditional friendship with many Latin American countries. After all British people helped in so many cases with the actual liberation of these countries. there were British soldiers fighting with Bolivia, Admiral Lord Cochrane helped with a tremendous battle which helped with the liberty of Brazil, Peru, and Chile. We've helped with the liberation of some of these countries and when liberated it was British capital which went out to develop them and together with some British people. Again during the lifetime of my own government, trying to do everything we could to become more and more friendly, we arranged the first British Foreign Minister ever to visit Latin America, with Lord Carrington—so we were doing everything possible and the moment hostilities are over we shall once again have another try.
Interviewer
Do you foresee in any way a negotiated settlement with Argentina, immediately or in the long term?
Mrs. Thatcher
We have been trying, as you know, for seven to eight weeks because we didn't want the conflict, but of course the person who has invaded has to withdraw his troops back to the mainland—they refused to do so and that's why we've had to go and repossess the islands. Those troops must withdraw to the mainland and I hope that then we'll be able to come to some arrangement which recognises the rights of the people [words missing] Falkland islands. After all, as I indicated, it was we who in some ways helped to liberate some of the Latin American countries to self-determination, that's what independence is. We want the people of the Falkland islands, who've been there, some of them, for seven generations, longer than some of the people who went to some of the Latin American countries. They didn't displace any indigenous population either. We're trying to do exactly the same now to let them have self-determination, the right to determine their own future but for that of course we must arrange some security for the integrity of the islands. [end p1]
Interviewer
When the islands are retaken, if the Argentines continue to threaten them, as you have suggested, what defensive arrangements would you have in mind?
Mrs. Thatcher
Well, we of course are the main defending nation but we would just hope that we could get a multi-national force to help us to defend the integrity of those islands. When the United States asked me, as Prime Minister of Britain, to contribute to a multi-national force to go to Sinai, so that the withdrawal from Sinai between Israel and Egypt could take place, I said yes. I believe that we could arrange to have a multi-national force to safeguard the integrity of the Falkland islands. Perhaps the United States and ourselves, perhaps another country from Latin America.
Interviewer
It has been reported to us that there is some concern that Cuba and Russia are taking a vested interest in Latin America following the Falklands situation. For example there are reports that the junta has had meetings with Cubans and Russians recently. Do you see this affecting the political balance in Latin America?
Mrs. Thatcher
I think it's true that the Soviet Union will always stir up trouble wherever it possibly can—incidentally Cuba is nearer to the United States of America than the Falklands are to the Argentine. Yes, it's true that they will always stir up trouble but I think that one has to recognise that I do not think that Latin America will turn easily to the Soviet system. What they are concerned—is to keep their independence and their own way of life. I do note in passing that when the United States was very very firm about sanctions against the Soviet Union because of its invasion of Afghanistan and when therefore there was a grain embargo, the people who in fact supplied wheat to the Soviet Union were the Argentines, it was they who enabled that embargo to be not very effective and, as you know, something like 70%; or 80%; of their food exports are now to the Soviet Union, so they before this affair already had that link and they got that link really as a result of frustrating United States policy of sanctions against the Soviet Union because of an invasion of Afghanistan, so that's a problem and certainly the only thing that the Soviet Union can export to the Argentine, that they'll be likely to want, will be arms so, yes, there is a problem, but on the whole I do not believe that Latin America wants Communist influence in their many countries. [end p2]
Interviewer
And finally, Prime Minister, where do we go after the hostilities end?
Mrs. Thatcher
What a pity we ever had the hostilities, what a pity there was ever the invasion. Once we have repossessed the islands then of course we have to try to mend fences and we shall do that, but the integrity of the islands must be respected just as the integrity of each country in Latin America ought to be respected, otherwise we shall go to international anarchy and none of our peoples will profit from that. We'll try to look to the increased development of the islands. There are many many resources and what's stopped the development has been this potential hostility. If we could agree that there'd be no further hostility then it would be to the profit of all of us to try to get some of the oil developed, to try to develop some of the fish resources and to try to get more tourism to the islands because I think there are a number of people who want to see some of the many beauties that the island has to offer and then look at security and then all of us try to get closer to Latin America which is such an important part of the world. A tremendously important part of the world. So we shall proceed in that direction.
Interviewer
Prime Minister, thank you very much.