RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Tuesday, February 8, Brazil defended its decision to allow British military planes flying to the Falkland Islands to stop at Brazilian airports, an attitude that bothered Argentina.
Last week, the Argentine ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Scioli, said that seven Royal Air Force flights landed in Rio, São Paulo, and Porto Alegre in January.
In a statement, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty) responded that while it supports Argentina’s claims of sovereignty over the Falklands, this position does not affect its “important partnership” with the UK.
“The Brazilian position of authorizing the overflight and landing of British military aircraft on the Falklands route is guided by the principle of not contributing to the modernization and expansion of the United Kingdom’s military resources and war potential in that archipelago,” the Brazilian ministry added.