Falklands 2010: Oil and sovereignty in the South Atlantic

A few days into the latest dispute, what is clear is that the Kirchner government will continue to use the issue as a diversionary tactic inside Argentina. But at that same juncture what remains unclear is whether their efforts internationally will yield anything more substantive than a resolution at the United Nations condemning the oil prospecting.

The Falklands unpleasant history combined with the new element of a potentially significant economic windfall means the dispute may recede from public view but will remain on a fairly high simmer.

Of course, all bets could be off if the Brits find massive oil deposits similar to those discovered in Brazilian waters to the north.

Jeremy Martin is a frequent commentator and writer on Latin American and energy issues. Working at the Institute of the Americas at the University of California, San Diego, he spends his time delving into the geopolitics of energy and closely following energy industry trends and policy issues across the Americas. He can be found on Twitter at @jermartinioa and contacted via e-mail at jermartin@ucsd.edu.