Brasília (DF) – The Commander of the Brazilian Army, General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva, presented the challenges and achievements of the Army at a public hearing of the Foreign Relations and National Defense Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro Filho, the Commander of the Brazilian Navy, Fleet Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, and the Commander of the Brazilian Air Force, Air Brigadier Lieutenant Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno.
The hearing was an opportunity for the commanders of the three forces to present the achievements, potential and needs of their institutions to the parliamentarians who make up the Commission. At the meeting, General Tomás took stock of the Army’s achievements in 2023 and early 2024 and pointed out the main challenges facing the Force.
In his speech, the Army Commander highlighted the institution’s quest for further development in anti-aircraft defense, deterrence and shock power. The general also spoke about the Force’s participation in the fight against cross-border and environmental crimes, mentioning the seizures made in Operation Ágata and recent actions carried out on the country’s borders.
The Commander also spoke about the Army’s work to support the population through Operation Yanomami, a humanitarian initiative to help the indigenous people and combat illegal mining. The humanitarian part of the action, focused on distributing supplies to the indigenous people, is already the largest military logistics operation ever carried out in Latin America.
The Army’s readiness to support civil defense actions in São Sebastião (SP) and Vale do Taquari (RS) was also highlighted, as was the Force’s assistance in combating dengue fever, which has already assisted more than 10 million people and carried out more than 138,000 inspections. Finally, the general reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to sustainability through investments in photovoltaic energy generation in the Special Border Platoons of Auaris, Tiriós and Tunuí, and highlighted the existence of new projects. After his explanation, the Commander answered questions from the Commission’s parliamentarians.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***