As a rising international power, Brazil under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva outlined a comprehensive national defense plan aimed at controlling and defending national territory, extending its maritime reach, and developing cutting-edge defense technology. The plan calls for reorganization of the army, air and space capabilities to cover Brazil’s …
On October 31, 2010, Brazilian voters elected that country’s first female president: Dilma Rouseff. Ms. Rouseff of the leftist Workers’ Party defeated her Center-Right rival Jose Serra by a margin of 56 percent to 44 percent of the votes cast. A former leftist guerilla turned technocrat, Ms. Rouseff was chief …
Last week the Obama Administration released its National Security Strategy for 2010. The document waxed fulsome in praise of Brazil as an “emerging center of influence.” It welcomed “Brazil’s leadership” which promises “to move beyond dated North-South divisions to pursue progress on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.” Brazil’s decision, along …
Iran announced today that it had reached an agreement with Turkey and Brazil to exchange some of its stockpile of low enriched uranium for more highly enriched uranium that can be used to fuel its research reactor in Tehran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the controversial deal in a three …
Brazil’s President Ignacio Lula da Silva will visit Tehran on May 15. International attention will focus on the visit because Iran has said it agrees “in principle” with working through Brazil and Turkey to broker a nuclear fuels exchange deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Despite this diplomatic …
Heritage’s Izzy Ortega issues his final report on yesterday’s election from Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital. More than 60% of all eligible voters made their voices heard loud and clear in electing former congressman Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo. A Bolivian member of parliament was also observing the election and nicely summed things …