Nationalism, national security, and amazonia: Military perceptions and attitudes in contemporary Brazil

The end of the Cold War had profoundly affected Brazilian military thought, and, consequently, military planning and development, by the late 1990s. R ecent evidence suggests that the Brazilian military is increasingly concern ed with threats to national sovereignty putatively posed by international o rganizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the most industrial ized countries. Moreover, the Brazilian military sees such threats as likel y to be clothed in the guise of "idealistic" concerns, including the protec tion of aboriginal (and other human) rights, and the protection of the envi ronment. The traditional military preoccupation with the Brazilian Amazonia has clea rly been intensified by these perceptions. While low-intensity conflict wit h traffickers in contraband and with guerrillas remains a central concern i n military planning for the region, there is increasing discussion by key m ilitary officers of larger threats. Reinforced by NATO's attack on Yugoslav ia, a new, post-Cold War era in Brazilian military thought appears to be ta king shape, one in which defense against direct threats to national soverei gnty, principally in the vast Amazon region, has become a central tenet. Br azil's new "Policy for National Defense," and its creation of a civilian-le d Ministry of Defense, should be seen in this new context.