The article explores the discourse of the bilingual newspaper The Southern Star / La Estrella del Sur, published during the British occupation of Montevideo in 1807. The emergence of this periodical is seen as one of the first episodes of the intense United Kingdom – Uruguay relations. We analyse the “language of occupation” as a set of linguistic means and tactics of manipulation used for propaganda purposes. Particular attention is paid to the Spain – UK antithesis, as well as the use of the epistolary genre to legitimize the pro-English discourse.