A Forgotten Diplomatic Exchange: The 1851 Arana–Southern Correspondence and the Termination of the Falklands Sovereignty Dispute

This paper analyses the 1850 Convention of Settlement (Arana-Southern Treaty) and argues thatit constituted a comprehensive settlement that terminated all outstanding disputes betweenthe United Kingdom and the Argentine Confederation, including Argentina's claim to theFalkland Islands. Through original archival research, particular emphasis is placed on theAugust 1851 diplomatic correspondence between Foreign Minister Felipe Arana and BritishMinister Henry Southern - a previously overlooked exchange that has not featured prominentlyin scholarly or official discussions of the dispute. This correspondence, which the author hasidentified as central to understanding the post-1850 settlement, provides powerful evidence ofArgentina's formal acceptance of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. The paperexamines the historical context, detailed quotes with analysis, and the full implications underinternational law, including subsequent practice, recognition, acquiescence, and estoppel. Itconcludes that the 1851 correspondence, read together with the 1850 Convention and theDecember 1849 memoranda, demonstrates that Argentina had accepted the termination of itsclaim to the Falkland Islands, actively seeking British diplomatic mediation whilst remainingsilent on the Falklands, thereby rendering modern Argentine claims historically and legallyinconsistent.