La guerre des Malouines dans les relations internationales

Extrait de l’interview de Costa Menéndez
Annexes
“Mario Benjamin Menéndez was commander of the occupying Argentinian troops and
military governor of the Falklands. Here, speaking to BBC correspondent in Buenos Aires,
Maximiliano Seitz, he remembers the conflict. He is, he says, sure he did the right thing.
“On 2 April I was in Buenos Aires. I had an appointment at a cabinet meeting chaired by the
chief of the junta, General Galtieri, who introduced me as the future Governor of the Malvinas
Islands. He said that early that morning he had talked to President Reagan, who had said that
MrsThatcher had been in touch with him, that she had news of what was coming and that, if
she were put under pressure, she would apply more.
But there was no going back, because the first of the Argentine troops were approaching the
coast of the Malvinas.
I got there on 4 April. It was an emotional moment when we saw the Malvinas from the air.
When the plane touched down, and before getting off we sang the national anthem. Then we
stepped on Malvinas soil - another emotional moment - because for Argentines, the
sovereignty issue is something that starts at a very young age. I remember the comics I used
to read when I was seven. There was a comic strip where someone had written graffiti saying
'The Malvinas are Argentinian'.
Argentina wanted to occupy in order to negotiate, and the forces that were to accompany me
were not meant to be more than 500 men. But we did not foresee a war.
When General Galtieri said to me: 'If this operation goes ahead, you will become governor', I
could have said no. But I said yes. Faced with this a soldier will say to himself: I stay and do
my duty, or I go. I stayed.
Islanders
I remember their anxieties of the islanders. Water had to be rationed. Some worried about the
future of their jobs, the health service. They criticised our decision to change to driving on the
right instead of the left. We talked, there was a relationship, but as the British troops got
nearer, we became distanced. When the Sea Harriers carried out low level attacks, you could
see the locals were happy.
Our own troops said they were getting tired because of the awful conditions: damp, cold, lack
of food. They were also exhausted, just waiting for the enemy. When you are defending and
you haven't the initiative, it wears you down. So I would say to them: 'The British are getting
very close... then everything will be over, for good or ill.'
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