The Minister of Defense, José Mucio Monteiro, is the interviewee in the 7th edition of the program “Inside Defense”. One year and four months into his post, José Mucio spoke about issues such as the creation of a civilian defense career, the participation of women in the Armed Forces and defended budgetary predictability in order to continue investing in the strategic projects of the Navy, Army and Air Force.
According to the Minister, while “the world is arming itself”, in Brazil there has been a reduction in the Defense budget over the last ten years, from 20.6 billion (2014) to 10.9 billion (2024). “When you buy an apartment, for example, you need to know how much you earn in order to pay for it. We need to have a minimum predictability to know how much we can invest in equipment for the Brazilian Forces,” he explained.
Strategic Defense projects include initiatives such as the development of submarines and armored vehicles and the acquisition of aircraft. These projects are characterized by their long duration and are part of the Defense Industrial Base (BID), a sector that represents 4.8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generates 2.9 million direct and indirect jobs in the country.
In the interview, José Mucio also highlighted the work and actions of the military throughout the country and their permanent state of readiness to assist the Brazilian population. “The Armed Forces exist to defend the country and to be at the disposal of Brazilian society. And Brazilian society has the absolute conviction that it can count on the Armed Forces whenever it needs them.”
Inside Defense – An interview program with military and civilian personalities who work in the different areas and segments of Defense. Produced by the Ministry of Defense’s communications team, the aim is to disseminate relevant information in an accessible and transparent way to Brazilian society.
Note: audio in Portuguese
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***