Argentina has been increasingly nipping at Britain’s heels over the Falkland Islands, deeming Britain a colonial aggressor.
Only last week a lengthy denunciation from the country’s foreign minister said: “the lion roars, but does not inspire fear” over “the colonial and military occupation of Argentine territory”.
At the same time, official figures show that the Argentina received £2 million in direct aid from the UK in 2012.
The revelation caught many MPs at Westminster by surprise.
Early January saw the 180th anniversary of British rule of the Falklands.
That prompted foreign minister Hector Timerman to pen a five-page editorial accusing Britain of “aggression” over the Falklands and claiming it has garnered the world to its side in its bid to claim the territory.
Last year a referendum was conducted which resulted in the overwhelming majority of islanders voting to remain with the UK.
Argentina’s harassment increased in 2010 after Britain began exploring for gas in the area.
Argentina is considered a relatively well-off country and is a member of the G20 group of leading economies.
The Conservative MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, a member of Parliament’s all-party group on the Falklands, said: ‘People will be rightly shocked that we are giving money to Argentina at a time when they are trying to stop our shipping from going to the Falklands and threatening to prosecute companies that explore for oil there.’
