US military bases: historical controversy and polemic.

247 - The plan put forward by Jair Bolsonaro's government to cede territorial space for the installation of US military bases has provoked reactions from various sectors. Considered a demonstration of the Brazilian government's subservience to the US, the measure has been criticized by... Former mayor Fernando Haddad, who used Twitter to reject the offer made by Bolsonaro..

An article published by Portal Vermelho points out the implications that the proposal brings to the country. "In practice, the initiative could be a complicating factor in the delicate bilateral discussions for the use of the Alcântara Launch Center, of the Air Force, in Maranhão," emphasizes a passage from the article.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

247The location of the complex and the favorable weather conditions for most of the year contribute to a significant reduction in the costs of commercial space transportation operations for satellite positioning.

Americans would like a long-term lease.

Brazilians want to sell services under a cooperative agreement – ​​however, without relinquishing control of the database.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo stated, during a meeting of the Lima Group—a bloc of Latin American countries pressuring Venezuela to yield to the coup attempts of the right wing—that President Jair Bolsonaro "does not rule out the possibility" of the installation of an American military base in Brazil.

According to Araújo, if this happens, it would be part of a "broader agenda" between the country and the United States. "The president does not rule out this type of possibility. We have every interest in increasing cooperation with the United States in all areas. This is something that needs to be discussed. There would be no problem with this type of presence," Araújo stated.

Trump admirer

Bolsonaro was questioned about the topic in an interview with SBT and stated that the installation could happen in the future. The president admitted to a closer military relationship with the United States. "The physical aspect could even be symbolic," Bolsonaro said.

According to the chancellor, the topic could be discussed by March, should Bolsonaro meet with President Donald Trump during an official trip.

"(The base) would be part of a much broader agenda that we want to have with the United States, which I believe the United States wants to have with us. So, when we have this visit, which we hope will be as the president wants, by March, there will be an agenda that will cover, in addition to cooperation and defense, security, trade and economic issues," he stated.

Bolsonaro once again expressed his support for the installation of a US military base on Brazilian soil. A proponent of closer diplomatic and commercial ties with the United States and an admirer of Trump, Bolsonaro said he considers the American people "friends" and linked a possible future agreement with the country to national security issues. Bolsonaro stated that the United States is interested in establishing a new military base in South America, two days after receiving US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a private meeting at the Planalto Palace.

When asked if he had discussed the matter with American authorities, Bolsonaro only said that countries neighboring Brazil are being considered to receive the military unit. "We have to worry about our security, about our sovereignty, and I consider the American people my friends," said Bolsonaro, after participating in the ceremony for the transfer of command of the Air Force, at the Brasília Air Base.

The Ministry of Defense, however, said it was unaware of any such negotiations.

The press office of the Minister of Defense, General Fernando Azevedo e Silva, reported that he "has no knowledge of any negotiations in this regard and has not discussed the matter with the president." The Ministry stated that it would not be possible to assess the advantages and disadvantages for the Brazilian Armed Forces "without knowledge of any possible conditions surrounding the issue."

Military cooperation

The newspaper O Globo reports that "analysts" assess Bolsonaro's statement as a new alignment in the area of ​​defense between Brasília and Washington, in contrast to the governments of former presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, who sought to articulate within the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) an architecture opposed to the American military presence. According to Matias Spektor, from FGV in São Paulo, a base would translate into high financial costs. To justify them, a scenario would be necessary in which the American government attempted a military intervention or defended the region from another power.

In the interview, Bolsonaro said: "We know the intentions of Maduro's dictatorship, and Brazil needs to be concerned."

"Bolsonaro is trying to consolidate himself as Trump's main ally in Latin America, while the United States is showing signs that the region has returned to the radar due to the increased Chinese and Russian presence. A base would definitively transform the regional dynamic. There is no other Latin American country that is going in this direction. It would create suspicion towards Brazil among its neighbors, on the one hand, but, on the other, it would transform Brazil into an ally of the United States," says Spektor.

The Armed Forces maintain agreements with foreign military organizations to receive specialized training groups – for example, in jungle warfare disciplines – or for combined air combat exercises. The United States also has military cooperation with other South American countries, such as Peru and Colombia, where it maintains military bases.

Currently, there are no active United States military bases in South America.

The last one was deactivated in 2009 in the Ecuadorian port of Manta, after then-President Rafael Correa refused to renew its use. In Brazil, the base in Natal that served the Americans in World War II ceased to be used by the Americans in 1945.

During the final years of World War II, Allied aviation, largely led by the United States, negotiated the construction of a gigantic air base in Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte. It was planned to have two runways, 700 buildings, 4.600 combatants, and a daily traffic of 400 to 600 aircraft to launch attacks against targets in North Africa and Southern Europe.

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