Mattis's visit and the subservience of the Temer government.

 

The objectives went far beyond simply assessing and developing plans to increase bilateral relations between the imperialist nation of the North and the countries visited. It is no coincidence that all four, in addition to having neoliberal, conservative, subservient governments and, in the Brazilian case, a coup-installed government, are part of the so-called Lima Group, an artificial diplomatic arrangement created specifically to provoke and produce events that justify interventionist action against the Venezuelan government. 

 

To emphasize its strategic interest in the Latin American and Caribbean region, which has never ceased or diminished, the United States declared 2018 the "Year of the Americas," a kind of re-enactment of the Monroe Doctrine (1823) and the Roosevelt Corollary – proclaimed during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency (1901-1909). At that time, it was about asserting US leadership in Latin America in rivalry with European powers. Today, US imperialism makes no secret of its concern about China, whose partnership with the region is intensifying and consolidating more and more. Therefore, the Pentagon statement emphasizes the goal of making the "Western Hemisphere a place of collaboration, prosperity, and security" (...) "The United States is thinking long-term about South America, aware that the success and security of future generations depends on how well we build a relationship of trust with our partners in the Western Hemisphere," said Mattis. 

 

To Michel Temer's subservient and submissive government, Mattis sent a clear message that care must be taken when choosing partners, alluding to China. He thus urged the usurpers of the Planalto Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to "strengthen ties with the United States," based on "shared values." 

 

Continuing efforts to link Michel Temer's subservient government to the US's interventionist designs toward Venezuela, the Pentagon chief seduced authorities in Brasília by referring to the "leadership" of the giant of the Southern Cross, which was urged to confront the "oppressive regime" of President Nicolás Maduro. 

 

Coincidentally, as if already following the roadmap outlined by Mattis, Brazil's Minister of Public Security, Raul Jungmann, begins a visit to Colombia this Monday, ostensibly to discuss strategies for expanding border security and learning about projects that have contributed to reducing violence and drug trafficking in that country. The agenda has considerable scope and political weight, including conversations with authorities on strategic issues that go beyond those related to public security. 

 

In line with the objectives of Mattis's trip, the newly inaugurated Colombian president, Iván Duque, emphasized that the meeting he held with the head of the Pentagon was "very productive." "We discussed issues related to the security of the hemisphere," he stressed.   

 

Jungmann's visit to Colombia, incidentally, follows violent xenophobic actions carried out on Brazilian territory against Venezuelans who crossed the border due to the economic difficulties faced by the neighboring country. Progressive and patriotic forces in Brazil must remain vigilant to prevent the Temer government, in collusion with the Trump administration's Department of Defense, from leading Brazil to participate in provocative actions on the border against Venezuela that would provide a pretext for fulfilling Washington's interventionist objectives. It should not be forgotten that it was the President of the United States himself who stated that he does not rule out the military option among the measures he could take against the government of President Nicolás Maduro.    

 

Mattis's agenda in Brazil also included, as one of its main themes, the US claim to take possession of the Alcântara Base. "We chose Brazil, not because, due to a fortunate geographical accident, it is located on the Equator, but because we want to work with the Brazilians, our hemispheric neighbor with whom we share political values, in addition to their impressive technological orientation," he said in a press conference after his meeting with his Brazilian counterpart.

 

This is not the first time Washington has expressed its intention to establish a foothold in this part of the state of Maranhão. It already did so during the anti-national government of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2003), a period in which the Alcântara base was at the disposal of the US, a situation that was reversed during the progressive governments in the country, first under the leadership of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2011) and then with Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016).

 

Ambassador Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães, Secretary-General of Itamaraty (Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) from 2003 to 2009, emphasized in an interview with the Sputnik website: "The main objective of the United States is to have a military base on Brazilian territory where they can exercise their sovereignty, beyond the reach of Brazilian laws and the oversight of Brazilian authorities, including the military, and where they can develop all kinds of military activities." 

 

Mattis's visit to Brazil and three other South American countries revealed the military objectives of the United States, already manifested on other occasions, including last November when, for the first time, the North American superpower participated in military maneuvers in Brazilian Amazon territory, at the tri-border area between our country, Colombia, and Peru.  

 

The Brazilian Armed Forces and patriots must not allow our country to become so vulnerable to the US offensive and to be used as an instrument of it.