The PCP demanded this Friday, February 20, that the Government make a “prompt and urgent” clarification regarding the largest movement of the United States Air Force at the Lajes Base, on the island of Terceira, in the Azores.
In a statement sent to newsrooms, the communists are against the possibility of the Azorean base being used “in the escalation of aggression against Iran”.
“The PCP condemns the possible use of the Lajes Base by the USA to escalate aggression against Iran and warns against Portugal’s involvement in this aggression in view of the PSD/CDS Government’s policy of alignment and submission to imperialism”says the statement, which also guarantees that the base “has functioned as an authentic aircraft carrier in the middle of the Atlantic for US warmongering actions — namely in the Gulf War (1990), the invasion of Afghanistan (2001) or the invasion of Iraq (2003)”.
The PCP once again shows its opposition “to the existence of foreign military bases in Portugal and the use of Portuguese territory for actions of interference and aggression against other peoples”, considering it “of the utmost gravity” that the Government “aligns itself with the forces of militarism and war”.
Also this Friday, the PS had asked the Government for clarification on this situation. “What the PS wants to know is whether the Portuguese Government is aware of this movement, whether it has been notified by the American authorities of this same movement, and whether it intends, as has always been the practice, to inform both the largest political parties, at national level, naturally, and the population itself about the reason and cause of this movement”maintained Francisco César, speaking to the Lusa agency.
The President of the Republic guaranteed this Friday, in Spain, where he was on an official visit, that the government is monitoring “closely and with knowledge of the facts” the use of the Lajes Base by the USA and considered that “it is not worth making speculations”.
“The Minister of State and Foreign Affairs [Paulo Rangel] He informed me a week ago about the possibility of using the Lajes Base under the terms of the existing agreement between Portugal and the United States of America”, he revealed.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa considered that “now it is not worth speculating about a matter” that minister Paulo Rangel “has already explained is a matter that he follows closely and with knowledge of the facts”.
“There are no surprises here, the Portuguese State follows what is happening in the execution of an agreement that has existed for many years with the United States of America”, he said, after being asked about a greater movement of North American military aircraft at the Lajes Base, on the island of Terceira, in a context in which tensions between the USA and Iran are growing.
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