Zoltan Mathe / EPA
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
US Secretary of State highlights only Portugal as aid within NATO and says that the Government gave “yes” to the use of Lajes before the US explained the matter. Rangel denies it.
The Portuguese Government denied this Wednesday the statements made by the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubiowho guaranteed that Portugal had authorized the use of the Lajes Base, in the Azores before even knowing what the purpose of the United States’ request would be.
In a note sent to newsrooms, cited by , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE) guaranteed that this version “does not apply at all to Portugal” and highlighted that the formal request was only presented after the attack on Iran, shortly after Rubio told Fox News that the Portuguese said “yes” even before Washington explained the subject and justify the North American use of the base.
Rubio was speaking aboard Air Force One during a Trump administration trip to China. In the speech, he criticized some NATO allies, especially Spain, accusing Madrid of making it difficult for the United States to access air bases. Portugal was presented by Rubio as example of cooperation.
“There are countries in NATO that were very useful to us. I highlight just one, Portugal. They said ‘yes’ before we even said what the subject was,” said Marco Rubio.
MNE denies Rubio
The statement was promptly contradicted by Lisbon through the MNE, which clarified that Portugal only authorized the use of the Lajes Base after the attack on Iran and under specific conditions.
These conditions, already publicly stated by Minister Paulo Rangel, establish that the use of the base can only occur in defense or retaliation against an attack, that the action must be necessary and proportionate and that only targets of a military nature can be targeted.
It is worth remembering that before the conditional formal authorization, several flights by North American aircraft from Lajes. In the weeks before the offensive against Iran there was a , which intensified on the eve of the attack. On February 27, two KC-46 refueling planes took off from the Azores and returned at night. The following day, with the attack already underway, five more flights of identical aircraft would have been recorded.
These movements will have occurred under a tacit authorization from the Portuguese authorities, without immediate activation of the prior authorization mechanism provided for in the Cooperation and Defense Agreement relating to the Lajes Base.
Only on Saturday night, after informal contacts from the North American Administration, was the conditional green light.
Paulo Rangel guaranteed, however, that no party in the Azores was used in attacks before this authorization. The minister stated that he was “absolutely certain” that the aircraft in question had not participated in offensive operations until then.
