NASA published a satellite image of the South Atlantic Ocean and included the Malvinas Islands with the British term “Malvinas.” Users on social media demanded the name be corrected in the comments. Minutes later, the aerospace agency edited the text and added “Islas Malvinas.”
A similar episode occurred in 2022 with a publication about phytoplankton in the region. The image highlighted the proliferation of organisms in the waters of the Argentine Sea.
The incident occurred on Friday, when NASA shared a satellite image of the South Atlantic on its Instagram account with an analysis of the proliferation of phytoplankton in the region. In the post, the aerospace agency mentioned that "the waters of the Patagonian Platform have everything for the phytoplankton that blooms in Argentina."
However, in the photo's description, he included the British name for the archipelago: "A group of islands, the Malvina Islands, stand out in tan tones."
The use of the term sparked a rapid reaction on social media, where hundreds of users began commenting demanding recognition of the name “Malvinas Islands.”
The reaction on social media and NASA 's correction
Comments were quick to appear. Phrases such as “The Malvina Islands are Argentine” and “Argentine sea, Argentine islands” dominated the post.
Under pressure from social media, NASA edited the text, adding the Argentine name alongside the British one: "a group of islands, the Malvina Islands, stand out in tan tones."
The post generated more than 115,000 likes and more than 2,260 comments in just a few hours, reflecting the impact of the topic.
Background of the controversy
This is not the first time that a NASA publication has sparked debate over the archipelago's sovereignty. In 2022, the agency shared another image of phytoplankton in the region and described the Malvinas as "off the coast of Argentina," without referring to the territorial dispute.
The claim to sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands has been in place since 1833, when the United Kingdom occupied the territory. Argentina has requested negotiations with international organizations to regain control over the islands.
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