MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Trump declares Brazil a trusted major non-NATO ally of the US
Countries with Non-NATO Ally status enjoy a higher level of trust with Washington, allowing them priority access to the US weapons market President Donald Trump on Wednesday boosted Brazil's status as a US military ally, easing the path for the Latin American giant to buy more sophisticated weaponry. In a notice sent to the State Department, Trump said, “I hereby designate the Federative Republic of Brazil as a major Non-NATO Ally of the United States,” referring to the powerful North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Countries with Non-NATO Ally status enjoy a higher level of trust with Washington, allowing them priority access to the US weapons market and bolstering military-to-military ties.
Egypt, Israel, New Zealand and Taiwan are among other allies of the United States already in the group.
Trump had already declared in May that he intended to give Brazil the status.
The Republican president is forging close links with Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro, who has been dubbed the Trump of Brazil since his surprise election last year.
Brazil is Latin America's most populous country and biggest economy, but mired in corruption and soaring rates of violent crime. Bolsonaro is also under criticism for what environmental groups say is a rapidly growing assault by miners, loggers and others on the Amazon rainforest.
On Tuesday, Trump said his administration is working with Brazil, a major producer of raw materials and farm products, on a new free trade agreement that would lower tariffs. Last year, Washington threatened to impose tariffs on Brazilian steel and aluminum, but later granted an exemption.
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Read all commentsAnd this “Trusted major non-NATO ally” will have to cough-up how many billions for enjoying such a great status?
Aug 01st, 2019 - 12:58 pm 0A clever Balancing-Act of FAKING the Rich-Nation Status + ENJOYING the Poor-Nation Status at the SAME time!
Aug 02nd, 2019 - 12:30 pm 0Brazilian newspaper Estado de S. Paulo earlier reported that Antonio Palocci, a jailed former finance minister, had said in plea bargain testimony that the company made the payments to former presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff.
Aug 10th, 2019 - 06:20 pm 0Palocci said he also received payments from the firm, according to the newspaper, which said it was the first time that Ambev, the Latin American and Canadian subsidiary of Anheuser Busch Inbev NV, has been caught up in the corruption probe known as Operation Car Wash.
In a statement to Reuters, Ambev vigorously denied what it described as “false and incoherent” allegations.
”False because we never made any inappropriate payments of any nature to receive undue benefits. And incoherent because, since 2015, the beverage sector has suffered through a major increase in (federal corporate) taxes, by around 60%, contradicting everything that was alleged.”
https://www.stltoday.com/reuters/brazil-s-ambev-calls-bribery-allegations-false-and-incoherent/article_ccf0a372-8b70-5e04-974f-8dc6eb9c016e.html
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