MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Brazil begins major military exercise to test security along its southern borders
A few of the 9.000 heavily armed soldiers listening to instructions 
High speed boats along South America’s heartland mighty rivers Brazilian Armed Forces began this week a major deployment along the borders of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia involving 9.000 troops from the three services with the purpose of testing border security against smugglers mainly of arms and drugs and organized crime, said the Ministry of Defence.
Operation Agata 5 is scheduled to last thirty days and besides 30 fluvial patrols along South America’s mighty rivers the exercise involves F-5 fighter jets and the latest incorporation to the Brazilian arsenal, drones.
The exercises which have become annual since 2007 and also involve the Federal Police and other state security departments extend from the State of Rio Grande do Sul on the Atlantic, Santa Catarina, Parana and Matto Grosso do Sul in the heartland of South America.
“One of our objectives is controlling air space which is used for illegal activities such as drugs trade and contraband”, said Brigade Commander Jose Geraldo Ferreira.
Agata 5 covers different areas and “we are working in three fronts: direct action against criminal activities; support and coordination with government agencies in the different states and good PR with the people in the area getting our forces involved in cultural, health and education activities”, added the Brigade Commander.
This could mean repairing schools, clinics, vaccination campaigns, improving roads particularly for the most vulnerable population in villages.
Brazilian Defence minister described the exercise which as targeted to combat criminal activities, organized gangs, drugs trafficking and illegal mining in the Amazon basin.
“One of the main pillars of Brazilian defence policy is dissuading foreign threats, not from the region where we have full cooperation from the different countries, but to ensure peace and protect our natural resources”, said Minister Celso Amorim.
“You can’t belong to the group of seven largest economies in the world and not think that someone could be interested in your resources, and in the case of Brazil, energy, oil, the Amazon region, bio-diversity, our capability in the production of food, all of which needs a strong dissuasion so as to prevent risks” underlined Amorim.
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Read all commentsI thought that S.America were all chums together. Does Brasil feel threatened on its border with Argentina. ?
Aug 08th, 2012 - 08:57 am 0@1 - well when the economic meltdown happens, CFK is liable to do anything including rehashing old border disputes.
Aug 08th, 2012 - 09:37 am 0She knows she hasn't got a snowflakes chance in hell against the Falklands, but doing a quick 'landgrab' off one or more of her neighbours, it the interests of solidifying Argentine territorial integrity could be on the table.
Perhaps Uruguay should start excerising some of their troops by the Argentine border too.
Brasil's Defence Minister Amorim says that Operation Agata 5 is
Aug 08th, 2012 - 10:54 am 0'targeted to combat criminal activities, organized gangs, drugs trafficking and illegal mining in the Amazon basin.'
It is to 'dissuade foreign threats, not from the region, where we have full cooperation from the different countries.'
So, it seems that - and he specifies - the 'Foreign Threats' are not Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia ... but the 'Foreign Threats' that are there in the southern part of the Amazon Basin.
Perhaps the 'Foreign Threats' are the USA and China.
Or Chile.
Or Venezuela ;-)
(Or perhaps they are Exercising in order to dissuade the Falklands Island fisheries protection vessel from 'criminal activities, gang warfare, drugs trafficking and illegal mining' up the border rivers Parana, Paraguay, Pilcomayo and Uruguay ;-)
All in all, Amorim once more shows that he is a foolish speaker.
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