Colext/Macondo
Cantina virtual de los COLombianos en el EXTerior
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Stratfor nos cuenta: Brazil Feels the Impact of Colombia's Drug War 04 May
2001
Summary
Brazil has entered into a partnership with the European aerospace group EADS
in order to combat spillover from the Colombian conflict into the Amazon.
The recent increase in cooperation between the Brazilian military and
non-U.S. companies is part of a larger plan to bolster Brazil's police and
military capabilities. At the same time, Brasilia wants to keep the United
States out of Brazil's highly coveted Amazon region.
Analysis
Brazil recently increased cooperation with non-U.S. companies to bolster
Brazil's military capability in the Amazon region. The Brazilian military is
attempting to improve its ability to respond to the possible migration of
the conflict in Colombia to Brazil's Amazon jungle. At the same time, the
government wants to prevent the United States from interfering in Brazil's
important Amazon region.
The European aerospace group EADS announced April 26 it will enter into a
partnership with the Brazilian military and police. The same day, a
delegation from the Russian arms company Rosoboronexport met with top
Brazilian military leaders to discuss the acquisition of heavy troop
transport helicopters as well as other military hardware.
The Brazilian government fears the U.S.-supported Plan Colombia, aimed at
cracking down on Colombian drug traffickers and producers, will ultimately
force the drug trade into the Brazilian Amazon.
Gen. Alberto Cardoso, the chief security advisor in Brazil, made clear the
government's position when he stated, "Colombia is causing the biggest worry
... our attention is dedicated to the effects it could have on Brazil, like
the flight of guerrillas and the transfer of drug laboratories and
plantations," reported Reuters Aug. 29, 2000. The Brazilian Federal Police
believe international narcotics trafficking organizations may be trying to
build cocaine-processing laboratories in the Amazon region because of the
availability of chemicals needed to process the cocaine.
Brazilian soldiers stage a simulation battle
in Manaus, Amazon, Oct. 19, 2000.
Since its inception as a nation in 1822, Brazil has pursued the development
of the nation's interior. The capital of Brazil was moved in 1960 from the
coastal city of Rio de Janeiro to the more internally located Brasilia.
Since that time, the government has built new transportation routes, which
have helped bring commerce and settlement to Brazil's interior; most
Brazilians, however, still live along the Atlantic coast. The Amazon region
remains largely undeveloped and untouched by the Brazilian government. But
Brasilia wants to more effectively utilize the Amazon's resources and
control the wide variety of illegal activities, from drug trafficking to
illegal mining.
Brazil has been Plan Colombia's loudest South American critic. Therefore,
Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC), wants to avoid angering Brazil. Guerrilla leaders have
repeatedly assured the Brazilian government that FARC forces will stay out
of Brazilian territory. This promise has turned out to be a hollow one as
the conflict has already seeped through the Colombian borders.
Brazil fears losing its Amazonian resources to foreign interests. Various
nations - including the United States, religious groups and international
environmental groups - have voiced their opinions on how Brazil should
manage the Amazon. And Brazil is still smarting from the looting of its
natural resources, from the British taking its rubber trees to
pharmaceutical companies obtaining medicines. In response, Brazilians have
tried to increase control over the rights to their unique and valuable
natural resources.
Brasilia has resisted involvement in Plan Colombia, in part because it is
concerned the United States will exert too much influence in Brazilian
territory. This may cause Brasilia to lose control over its drug policy and
perhaps even limit its sovereignty over highly valued Amazon rain forest.
Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso said Plan Colombia "has
nothing to do with Brazil," reported The Associated Press. But security on
the border is increasing. For instance, Brazil stepped up security operation
along its border with Colombia in September 2000. The operation, Plan Cobra,
saw the addition of 200 federal police and an undisclosed number of military
personnel. Since then, President Cardoso has added two separate sets of
6,000 troops to the border region. As the Colombian pressure cooker expands
beyond the borders, Brazil will inevitably find itself involved in Plan
Colombia.
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