MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Judge ratifies Wednesday's air link between Sao Paulo and Malvinas/Falklands

Federal Judge Rodriguez ruled that given the evidence provided by the different government offices, the Cordoba/Malvinas of the air link is a domestic flight because the Islands are part of Argentina

Argentine federal judge Luis Rodriguez ratified on Tuesday the green light for Latam's flight, beginning this Wednesday, linking Sao Paulo in Brazil and Cordoba with the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, after throwing out a request to suspend the link.

According to the ruling, published by the Judicial Information Center, given the records collected from the different Argentine public offices involved, they all coincide in underlining that the Malvinas Islands belong to the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands province of Argentina, and “the Cordoba Islas Malvinas leg in a domestic flight”

Furthermore the approval of the legs between Sao Paulo and the Malvinas Islands are in the framework of bilateral treaties between both States, which were necessary to authorize through a National Decree, under article 97 of the Aeronautic Code, and Law 25.871, analogue to those currently taking place under Decree 1179/2002.

This decree authorized Lan Chile (now merged with Brazil's TAM), to exploit regular international air transport services of passengers, cargo and mail with large body aircraft. Rodriguez also underlined the “legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty of the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and adjoining maritime and insular spaces”, according to the records requested.

Thus based on the analysis of all the evidence provided, it impedes considering admissibility requests of the cautionary measures, demanded by the Prosecution, with the purpose to preserve the Argentine State from possible serious economic damages.

In consequence Judge Rodriguez ruled not to accept the suspension of the flights corresponding to the authorizations extended to Latam through Decree 602/2019, from 30 August 2019 and signed by the president of the Argentine nation.

The cautionary measures were requested by solicitor Valeria Laura Carreras on 24 September who claimed alleged irregularities in the UK/Argentina bilateral relation by the administration of President Mauricio Macri. Based on this the Prosecution had accused president Macri, Transport minister Guillermo Dietrich and foreign affairs minister Jorge Faurie for their alleged “treason of the Motherland”, in the question referred to the flight to Malvinas.

First flight is TAM 8208.