By Ruane Santos and Mariana Alvarenga
Defense Minister José Mucio Monteiro defended the integration of South American countries and the strengthening of regional cooperation during the First South American Dialogue Meeting between Defense and Foreign Ministers, held on Wednesday (22) at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia.
The meeting, which was also attended by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, brought together defense and foreign affairs authorities from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. The activity took place as a follow-up to the Brasilia Consensus, an event held in May this year at the invitation of the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with the aim of outlining perspectives for cooperation and integration in South America.
The meeting was marked by a debate on topics such as assessing the international peace and security situation; maintaining peace and security in South America, sharing experiences and humanitarian aid; and finally, mirroring interagency operations for border security in South American countries. “There’s no doubt that we need to join forces to keep the South American continent at peace. The search for regional cooperation is also relevant to mitigate border crimes in order to provide greater internal security for the population of our countries,” emphasized Minister José Mucio.
In this sense, he addressed the “Ágatas” operations, developed by the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces in conjunction with public security agencies and bodies, which aim to combat crimes in border areas. José Mucio pointed out that some of these operations are even carried out in conjunction with the Armed Forces of countries that share a border with Brazil. In a recent operation, Brazil and Paraguay caused losses of R$38 million in the fight against illegal activities.
Defense Industrial Base – In his speech, José Mucio also mentioned Brazil’s search for an agenda for the development of the defense industry. “The defense industry is, above all, an industry of knowledge, with great opportunities for its use in the civilian environment, in dual-use projects,” he said. In Brazil, the Defense Industrial Base is responsible for 4.8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), generates 2.9 million direct and indirect jobs and is responsible for strategic defense products such as aircraft, ships, submarines and armored vehicles.
The Brasilia Consensus – A document signed in May 2023 by South American leaders that determines, among other issues, regional integration and the fight against climate change as priorities for the coming years in South America. In addition, the authorities pledged to work to increase trade and investment between the countries of the region, as well as to implement trade facilitation and financial integration measures.
Photos: Hisaac Pereira *** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***