Brazil sides with Argentina against Britain as Falklands warship is turned away from Rio

Brazil appeared to be taking sides against Britain in the long-running dispute over the Falkland Islands by refusing permission for a Royal Navy ship to dock in Rio de Janeiro.

HMS Clyde, which patrols the waters around the Falklands, was forced to switch course to Chile after being rebuffed by the Brazilians.

The snub was being seen last night as a clear sign that new left-wing Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was trying to curry favour with Argentina.

Miss Rousseff is due to visit Buenos Aires next month to discuss improving trade relations on her first official trip abroad.

Up until recently, Britain has enjoyed a cordial relationship with Brazil and the Navy has never been prevented from docking at the country’s ports.

But Argentina has increasingly tried to put pressure on its neighbours to make life difficult for the Falklands patrol ships.

And foreign policy analysts claimed the new Brazilian president was trying to play the ‘anti-colonial card’ to satisfy the left-wing factions of her Worker’s Party.

In September last year, HMS Gloucester, a type 42 destroyer, was barred from entering Montevideo in Uruguay to pick up fuel and supplies.

It was the second time Argentina’s much smaller neighbour has blocked British ships to show solidarity in the Falklands controversy.

The Argentine government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was said to be ‘satisfied’ at the Brazilian move, according to the newspaper Clarin.

A Foreign Office spokesman tried to play down the incident.

He said: ‘We can confirm that HMS Clyde had planned to make a routine port stop in Rio de Janeiro in early January.

‘Brazil did not grant diplomatic clearance this time. We respect Brazil’s right to make such a decision. We have a close relationship with Brazil.

‘The UK-Brazil defence co-operation treaty signed last September is a good example of our current strong links.’