U.S. and Brazil Ink Military Pact

Updated April 13 - The United States and Brazil inked their first defense pact in decades on April 12. Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim made note of the bilateral deal during April 7 remarks to his country’s foreign relations committee in the lower house of Congress. The U.S Department of Defense then reported Jobim will travel to Washington Monday to sign the deal alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Last week, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela, while on an official stop in Ecuador, referenced the cooperation pact. The accord comes at a time of bumps in bilateral relations caused by Brazil’s reluctance to back new UN sanctions on Iran as well as the likelihood that it will purchase French fighter jets over American ones.

A new U.S.-Brazil defense deal will be the first in effect since 1977. A Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations release outlines areas covered in the new pact, including training, collaboration and exchanges between military experts and students, defense-related commercial initiatives, and naval visits. News of the agreement and Valenzuela’s allusion to it sparked reports that Washington may install a military base to fight narcotrafficking based in Rio de Janeiro. Last year, a defense deal between Washington and Bogota allowing U.S. troops to operate out of Colombian military bases drew concern and debate from members of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). But the Brazilian release on the U.S.-Brazilian deal made no reference to a new base, instead comparing it to defense pacts Brazil holds with dozens of other countries. The release also stressed the accord would respect sovereignty and that UNASUR members have been informed of the negotiations.

How far-reaching the deal will be remains to be seen. Moreover, the issue of Iran’s nuclear program may have been a talking point on the sidelines of the Gates-Jobim meeting. Brazil, a temporary member of the UN Security Council, supports a diplomatic solution over sanctions against Tehran. “A regime like Iran's, with sanctions, will tend to radicalize, dig in its heels, joining opposition and government in a position of intransigence,” said Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim during April 7 remarks to his country’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Brazil in November and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is slated to visit Tehran in May. Brasilia has resisted U.S. pressure to sign on to the sanctions, with Lula rejecting the idea hours before a March visit by U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton. “A lot of people in Washington are asking themselves if Brazil is a true partner of the U.S. or an emerging rival. In my opinion there will be a bit of both,” COA’s Eric Farnsworth told the Financial Times last month.

The Pentagon may have also urged Brazil’s Defense Ministry to consider purchasing U.S.-made fighter jets as the South American country seeks to modernize its military. Jobim indicated during his congressional meeting this week that his ministry would submit a technical report to Lula as the government considers whether to buy French, Swedish, or U.S. jets. The Brazilian government has indicated an interest in French Rafale planes. It will likely start with a purchase of 36 jets and could buy another 100.

Reuters reports that, after Jobim’s visit, Gates will travel to Colombia, Peru, and Barbados. Washington has been accused of ignoring Latin America with its attention turned to Iraq and Afghanistan. A new article by AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini in The Huffington Post explores ways the Obama administration can renew U.S.-Latin American relations.

Learn more:

• U.S. State Department release on the defense pact.
• U.S. Southern Command coverage, including a video of the press conference.
• Brazilian Ministry of Defense website.
• Brazilian Ministry of Defense release on the bilateral defense cooperation agreement.
• AS/COA news analysis: UNASUR’s Base Debate.
• AS/COA news analysis: Lula Raises Middle East Profile.