Friday, November 16, 2007

Is Brazil seeking nuclear weapons?

In a press conference yesterday, Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim rejected allegations that the government wants to build nuclear weapons. Brazil’s plans “aren't for a nuclear bomb, that's just nonsense,” said Jobim which contradicted a Brazilian General who said that nuclear weapons would be necessary.

However, Jobim justified the need to launch a nuclear submarine based on the recent discovery of a massive offshore oil field:

"When you have a large natural source of wealth discovered in the Atlantic, it's obvious you need the means to protect it," Nelson Jobim said Thursday at a defense conference in Rio de Janeiro.

A Council on Hemispheric Affairs report published last month criticized Brazilian President Ignacio Lula da Silva for wanting to build a “trophy military weapon”.

Image- BBC News

Sources- Council on Hemispheric Affairs, Bloomberg, The Latin Americanist, Associated Press

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1 comment:

  1. Mr. Trend8:18 AM

    I don't know how representative of the military Barros Moreira is, but given he's the only one in the military publicly saying Brazil should have nuclear weapons, I'm not terribly inclined to believe him. I suspect there may be minor currents wanting nuclear arms within the military, but given how that project has not existed since Geisel was president in the 1970s, I suspect the nuclear question is going to be based more on actual energy purposes (with the growing energy crisis in South America) than in terms of proliferation.

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