MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' patrol vessels support, allegedly from Brazil and Chile, trigger debate in Argentina

A recent foreign policy book from Di Tella's number two, Andres Cisneros has brought up the issue

Argentine opposition lawmakers expressed concern about alleged logistic support from Brazil and Chile to British warships and other auxiliary vessels in the South Atlantic and demanded the government of president Cristina Fernández report to Congress on the matter.

 The uproar follows on an article published by La Nacion based on data supplied by 'reliable sources' in the ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs and presumptions in a book recently launched by former Deputy foreign minister Andrés Cisneros (second to the late Guido Di Tella).

“We believe that in the event of British vessels being supported by Chile or Brazil, this is an issue of utmost concern, and Argentina must request explanations from those countries in the framework of Mercosur and Unasur”, said lawmaker Juan Carlos Zabalza member of the Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Likewise a member from the Foreign Affairs and Defense committees of the Argentine Senate, also demanded to know exactly “what was going on”.

Former Deputy minister Cisneros who recently launched an essay-book “Notes for a post-Kirchner foreign policy”, asked by La Nacion said that “there are strong presumptions that vessels from neighboring countries supply British ships in the high seas, and these ships are linked to the British administration of the Malvinas”.

“Some of those circumstance are already almost public, such as the fact, extremely plausible, that Islands flagged vessels avoid the regional ban by changing colors before calling at a port, but this even if confirmed, in no way can be blamed on the port or terminal authorities”, indicated Cisneros.

However Cisneros points out that the reference to alleged logistic support from Chile, “are not from my book so I won't comment on that”. And regarding Brazil, Cisneros said “this is a country that has always behaved in an impeccable manner when it comes to Argentina's Malvinas claim”.

But on the other hand it is public and no secret that the Royal Navy and her Brazilian counterpart effectively are involved in high seas naval exercises for the defense of the pre-salt deep water hydrocarbons resources along the Atlantic coast. “This however must in no way be confused or interpreted as an active participation in the Malvinas issue”.

For Cisneros the joint military operations of UK with Brazil are geared “to deepen strategic relations with the South American giant, for many reasons, mainly economic, which does not mean an offence for Argentina”.

Nevertheless La Nacion in the final paragraph insists that according to Argentine Defense and Foreign Affairs sources, there is information which suggests a possible logistic support from Brazil and Chile to UK vessels and aircraft stationed in the Malvinas area.