The latest support for the Argentine position came from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who told a Latin American unity conference in Mexico both the United Nations and Britain were at fault over the Falklands.

Argentina has been trying to get the United Nations involved in the Falklands and this week renewed efforts for a U.N. intervention.

Lula da Silva criticized the United Nations for not intervening in the Falklands dispute and considered it odd that "Argentina is not the owner while England is, despite being (8,400 miles) away."

Britain has rejected Argentine claims of sovereignty over the islands and thrown full support behind oil prospecting in the sea basin by U.K.-based oil companies.

Lula da Silva said Britain's permanent seat at the U.N. Security Council gave it undue influence over the way the international community dealt with the Falklands, which is often referred to by its Spanish name of "Malvinas."

"Our attitude is one of solidarity with Argentina," Lula said, adding, "What is the geographical, political and economic explanation for England to be in the Malvinas?"

Britain and Argentina went to war over the Falkland Islands in 1982 after a military-ruled government in Buenos Aires invaded the territories. Britain retained control over the islands as an overseas territory after the 74-day conflict, which caused the deaths of 255 British and 649 Argentine soldiers, sailors and airmen and three civilian Falklanders.

Britain maintains the Falklands exercised self-determination and chose to stay with Britain, as have residents of other islands that were formerly British colonies elsewhere in the world.

Analysts said Lula's comments were related to Brazil's campaign to take a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council as the pre-eminent representative of South and Central America.

"Is it possible that Britain can do everything while others can do nothing?" Lula da Silva went on. "We need to start pushing so that the U.N. (secretary-general) reopens this debate."

He said the Security Council members respect international rulings "only when they are functional to their own interests" and called for making the council more inclusive to accommodate more of the emergent economies.

The 33 heads of state and governments attending the conference in Cancun signed a document supporting the Argentine position. The declaration said the conference recognized Argentina's sovereignty over the Falklands and condemned the oil exploration operations begun by the Falklands government and backed by Britain.

Independent research established Falklands underwater deposits of hydrocarbons may be greater than the North Sea's depleting reserves and second only to Saudi Arabia's holdings.

Argentina has embarked on sanctions against maritime companies that trade with the Falklands Islands, warning them of a series of punitive measures, as part of its effort to rattle the oil operators and to discourage them from being a part of the oil exploration operations.

The move has raised the costs of maritime operations centered on the oil exploration operations. The oil companies involved with exploration are British-based but the Falklands government is also looking into attracting exploration teams from elsewhere.

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