wish you success in your task. 180. The Government of Brazil has observed with deep concern the deterioration of the situation of con- flict in the Malvinas Islands, which has brought about the convening of this meeting of the Council in the face of imminent bloodshed of incalculable propor- tions. On the instructions of President Figueiredo, our concern was expressed at the Twentieth Meeting Of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OAS, convened in accordance with the provisions of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance; in messages addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Council by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil; and in official declarations of the Brazilian Government. President Figueiredo himself has directly and personally appealed to the British Prime Minister and the President of the Argentine Republic for peace and harmony. In spite of those statements by Brazil and many other countries, and in spite of the adoption by the Council of resolution 502 (1982), which both parties have declared their readiness to implement, the situation is now more critical than ever. 181. I should like to recall the position that Brazil has traditionally taken on this issue. 182. In 1833, when the Government of Argentina informed Brazil of the occupation of the islands by Great Britain and of the expulsion of its Governor and Argentine citizens living there, the Government of Brazil associated itself with the protests of the Argen- tine Republic to the British Government. From the outset, we have always viewed this situation as dc fhcto occupation by the British. 183. With the passage of time, there was no arbi- tral award, no international judicial decision or treaty giving juridical validity to the British occupation: nor does the passage of time give legal validity to the fact of occupation, since the aggrieved country-Argen- 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a diplomatic statement or a communiqué from the Government of Brazil regarding a conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Malvinas Islands. The language used is formal and diplomatic, and the content focuses on the situation, the positions of the parties involved, and the efforts made by Brazil to mediate or resolve the conflict. Given the context, it is unlikely that the text relates to economic development, natural resources, agriculture, forestry, fishing, industry, transport, communication, international trade, health, education, employment, or humanitarian aid.

**Category**
International relations, Culture