Editing Benito Blandino

{{Short description|Argentine SS officer and Falklands administrator (born 1943)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Benito Blandino
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1943|3|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Argentina]]
| nationality = Argentine
| other_names = Liberator of the Malvinas
| occupation = Military officer
| height = 1.75 m
| weight = 76 kg
| title = [[Reichcomisario]] of the western [[Falkland Islands]]
| term = 2017–2024
| era = [[Vriend Era]]
| module = {{Infobox military person
 | embed = yes
 | allegiance = {{flag|Tanoa Einsatzgruppen}}
 | branch = [[Allgemeine SS]]
 | serviceyears = 1963–2024
 | rank = [[SS-Oberführer]]
 | unit = [[1st Allgemeine SS Division Siege Chiche]]
 | commands = [[Malvinas Unit]]
 | battles = {{ubl|[[Tanoa Einsatz Expansionist Campaign]]|[[Suva Crisis]]|[[Tanoan Conquest of the Falklands]]}}
 }}
}}

'''Benito Blandino''' (born 20 March 1943) is an Argentine former [[Allgemeine SS]] officer who governed the Tanoa-controlled western [[Falkland Islands]] after the [[Tanoan Conquest of the Falklands|Second Falkland War]]. He participated in the suppression of the [[Suva Crisis]] in Fiji and the [[Patagonian Farmer Protest]] of 2001. During the Falklands War, Blandino and troops under his command were accused of executing British prisoners of war.

== Early life ==
Blandino was born in [[Argentina]] on 20 March 1943 to a family that had immigrated from [[Italy]] during the [[Second World War]]. He was raised Catholic and later married. Before enlisting in the [[Allgemeine SS]] in 1963, aged 20, he joined the [[Paapjugend]]. He entered the [[1st Allgemeine SS Division Siege Chiche]].

== Career ==
Blandino received medals for bravery during the [[Tanoan Purification Process]]. By 1970, he had reached the rank of [[SS-Oberscharführer]] and subsequently participated in the [[Tanoa Einsatz Expansionist Campaign]]. He also helped suppress the [[Suva Crisis]] in Fiji. The uprising ended on 2 January 1980.<ref name="suva-crisis"/>

After [[Eef Paap]] became Führer in 1980, Blandino was promoted to [[SS-Sturmscharführer]] and assigned to fortify [[Ipota]] on [[Ravi-Ta]] for Eef's private resort. Eef later converted the village into a restricted resort area in 2002.<ref name="ipota-resort"/>

Blandino took part in suppressing the [[Patagonian Farmer Protest]] in 2001. Farmers had gone on strike against Tanoan agricultural restrictions. The [[Ordnungspolizei]] and Allgemeine SS broke up demonstrations and arrested protesters.<ref name="farmers-protest"/>

Blandino received a commission as [[SS-Untersturmführer]] in 2007 and was promoted to [[SS-Obersturmführer]] in 2012. He became an [[SS-Sturmbannführer]] in 2014.<ref name="ss-promotions"/>

== Falklands War ==
Blandino entered the [[Tanoan Conquest of the Falklands]] as an SS-Sturmbannführer. The Tanoa Einsatzgruppen occupied the western portion of the islands, where fighting with the British continued until 2017. Reports accused Blandino and troops under his command of mistreating British prisoners of war and summarily executing some of them. The reported death toll was approximately 50, although the exact number and locations of the killings remained disputed.<ref name="falklands-prisoners"/>

The ceasefire signed on 8 April 2017 left the western Falklands under Tanoan administration. Blandino was promoted to [[SS-Oberführer]] and appointed [[Reichcomisario]] of the occupied territory.<ref name="falklands-ceasefire"/> He formed the [[Malvinas Unit]] within the Siege Chiche division. Some of its members wore masks textured to resemble skulls in cold weather. The Allgemeine SS was dissolved on 30 November 2024, when the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen surrendered to resistance forces.<ref name="ss-dissolution"/>

== See also ==
* [[Tanoa Einsatzgruppen]]
* [[Allgemeine SS]]
* [[Suva Crisis]]
* [[Patagonian Farmer Protest]]
* [[Tanoan Conquest of the Falklands]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="suva-crisis">"[[Suva Crisis#Crisis|Crisis]]". ''Suva Crisis''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="ipota-resort">"[[Ipota#Transition under Eef Paap|Transition under Eef Paap]]". ''Ipota''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="farmers-protest">"[[Patagonian Farmer Protest#Protest|Protest]]". ''Patagonian Farmer Protest''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="ss-promotions">"[[SS-Obersturmführer#Promotion history|Promotion history]]". ''SS-Obersturmführer''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="falklands-prisoners">"[[Tanoan Conquest of the Falklands#Alleged executions of prisoners|Alleged executions of prisoners]]". ''Tanoan Conquest of the Falklands''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="falklands-ceasefire">"[[Tanoan Conquest of the Falklands#Ceasefire and aftermath|Ceasefire and aftermath]]". ''Tanoan Conquest of the Falklands''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="ss-dissolution">"[[Allgemeine SS#Dissolution|Dissolution]]". ''Allgemeine SS''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
}}

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Argentine people]]
[[Category:SS officers]]
[[Category:Tanoa Einsatzgruppen]]
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:Vriend Era]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Tanoa Einsatzgruppen personnel]]
[[Category:Allgemeine SS]]