Miguel Monjardino, professor of Geopolitics and Geostrategy at the Catholic University and international politics columnist for the weekly “Expresso,” argues that the changes that have taken place since 2022 represent the beginning of a new historical cycle that brings more value to the Lajes Base. He stresses that Portugal must decide what it wants regarding geostrategic orientation.
For the political-military analyst on SIC-Notícias, “the tragedy or fortune of the Azores” is that their historical value rises in times of turbulence. “In periods of peace and integration, the value of the Azores decreases,” he points out.


Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought another reality. “What is likely to happen is that the Lajes Base will be used more by the United States of America, still not in a permanent way as we knew it in the past, but in terms of anti-submarine warfare, for example,” he said in an interview open to the public at the Lar Doce Livro bookstore in Angra do Heroísmo.
Monjardino added, “We also know that historically, the Lajes Base was only highly valued by the United States when the US Navy was here.”

He admits that this interest may exist, but that it will always be a “political decision made in Washington”.
“There will be (interest). Now, we don’t know how big it is and it doesn’t depend on us. I think we should worry more about what we control. What I’m asking is what is Portugal’s geostrategic orientation? From my point of view, it should be maritime geostrategy. But so far, the national political decision-makers don’t agree,” he continues.
Miguel Monjardino believes that “our orientation is a mix of a continental strategy with a maritime dimension, and the dominant branch in Portugal is still the Army.”
“It would imply that the Navy and the Air Force would have more influence in the decision-making process and that political decision-makers would have a better understanding of the sea and everything that surrounds the sea in Portugal. We also have to make this choice, we can’t have everything,” he stresses.
The conversation with Miguel Monjardino focused on the book he launched at the beginning of 2023, entitled “Where Will History Go?”.

The professor of Geopolitics and Geostrategy maintains that Portugal should question what it wants for the Lajes Base. “It’s a Portuguese base where the Americans have facilities, but we only talk about what America has to do. The Azores are Portuguese territory. What I’m interested in discussing is not what the United States will or won’t do, something over which we have no influence. What matters is what Portugal wants for the Atlantic.”

in Diário Insular, José Lourenço-director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.