A Coast Guard for Brazil

The Brazilian people deserve a Coast Guard that meets their needs. Enough of deaths during crossings of the Amazonian rivers in overcrowded and poorly maintained vessels. Enough of unregistered boats departing from clandestine ports to their deaths. Enough of the more than 100 ships abandoned in Guanabara Bay, without inspection, potentially causing serious accidents.

The collision of the bulk carrier São Luiz with the Rio-Niterói bridge marks the culmination of this absurd situation, where this "floating scrap heap" can remain anchored for six years without proper and regular maintenance and without being bothered. The result was that something broke, the anchor came loose, and the wind pushed the old ship until it hit the bridge. Had it collided with a barge, it would have been a tragedy. A chronicle of a death foretold, this predictable event fills us with shame.

Besides the harm to people, there is enormous potential for environmental damage, whether from the remaining fuel in their tanks or the use of toxic substances in their construction, such as asbestos. Let's remember that the navy sold the aircraft carrier São Paulo and had to bring it back to Brazil precisely because of the asbestos.

Civil Guards are organized in different ways, either as a military organization or a civilian department. In practice, they are a type of police force combined with firefighters.

In Brazil, these functions are performed by the navy, which also handles the duties of the GC (General Command).

The Navy has its Strategic Plan, centered on the Nuclear Program and the Projection of Naval Power, which are fundamental to the country's defense, but which say little or almost nothing to the GC (General Command).

GC should focus on enforcing coastal transport regulations, which are the responsibility of ANTAQ, responding to emergencies and rescues at sea, in rivers and lakes, and monitoring the conditions of transport, vessels and terminals. 

Whatever coast guard model is adopted, the separation of the organizations is urgent. They have distinct priorities with different focuses. The nuclear submarine, the current 'darling' of the navy, has already cost more than 6 billion dollars. The navy's investments clearly prioritize power projection. Coast guard functions are clearly relegated to a secondary role. We need a Coast Guard to prevent chaos from taking hold – once and for all – in Brazilian water transport.