Mario Menendez

Died: September 18, 2015

Mario Menendez, who has died aged 85, was an Argentinian general and the military governor of the Falkland Islands until they were re-taken by the British in June 1982. Thirty years later, he was arrested over allegations that he ran a torture centre and was due to stand trial over the claims this year.

Although he was forced to surrender to the British on June 14, 1982, Menendez never lost faith in the cause he was fighting for and was critical of the British coming, in his words, from far away to fight for a small piece of a colonial empire. However, he did feel let down by the Argentinian authorities who he felt did not appreciate the men who went to the Falklands to fight.

Menendez was from a military family (he was born in Buenos Aires) and was educated at the National Military College and from a young age, remembers feeling the importance of the issue of the Malvinas, as Argentines call the Falklands.

"For Argentines, the sovereignty issue is something that starts at a very young age," he said. "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'."

He graduated from military college as a second lieutenant and by 1979 had risen to the rank of general. Three years later, he arrived on the Falklands to take over from Major General Osvaldo Jorge Garcia, who led the Argentine force that arrived on the Falklands on April 2, 1982 and quickly overwhelmed the 78 Royal Marines who were stationed there.

Menendez said the plan was to occupy the islands to force the British to negotiate and that he did not foresee a war. However, the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sent a taskforce to re-take the islands. At first, Menendez was dismissive and, on hearing that Prince Andrew would be piloting one of the helicopters in the British taskforce, is said to have responded: "Let the little prince come" (he later denied that he had said it).

In the meantime, Menendez imposed his rule on the islands. He occupied the office of the British Governor, Rex Hunt, and ordered drivers to use the right of the road rather than the left. He also issued postage stamps with the words "Malvinas Islands, Republic of Argentina".

When the British troops arrived, conditions quickly deteriorated for the Argentines. "Our own troops said they were getting tired because of the awful conditions: damp, cold, lack of food," said Menendez. "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.' I was short of munitions, I had no support from the air. I had to say enough."

Eventually, Menendez realised the war was unwinnable and says he made that clear to General Galtieri, the Argentinian president, who ordered him to carry on. Menendez says that when he asked Galtieri for more men or air support and the president said no, he ended the call. "I warned General Galtieri what might happen, but he didn't say anything, didn't do anything, didn't think," said Menendez.

The surrender finally came on the afternoon of June 14th before the British Commander-in-Chief Major General Jeremy Moore. "I had not slept for 36 hours," Menendez recalled. "I was so tired. I made myself presentable … I thought: this is the end. I didn't argue, since I knew my troops couldn't give any more."

The only objection Menendez made on the day was to the word "unconditional" in the surrender which he had scored out – 649 Argentines and 255 British had died.

Speaking many years later, Menendez insisted that the cause he fought for was right. "To the relatives of the British troops who lost their lives, I would say we were convinced our cause was a just one. Death is always a painful thing. I was saddened by our losses and also I think by those of the other side. I think this war was more unjust than others because the British came from far away for a small piece of a colonial empire."

After the war, Menendez returned to his life in Argentina but was arrested in 2012 in connection with La Escuelita, a torture centre that he was alleged to have run before Galtieri seized power in a military coup in 1975. Menendez was expected to stand trial over the allegations later this year.

He is survived by his wife, son and two daughters.