Brazil military uneasy with Bolsonaro’s openness to U.S. base
By Rodrigo Viga Gaier
January 5, 2019
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Comments from Brazil’s new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro that he would be open to the United States operating a military base on Brazilian soil have not been well received by the country’s armed forces, a senior army officer told Reuters on Saturday.
Bolsonaro, who took office on Jan. 1, said in a television interview on Thursday he might be willing to allow a U.S. base in Brazil as a way to counter Russian influence in Venezuela, a move that would mark a sharp shift in direction for Brazilian foreign policy.
Brazil’s military would be against a U.S. base in the country, the officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he has not been authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
He added that the possibility of ceding territory for a base took officers by surprise in the Brazilian military, which has traditionally been a zealous guardian of national sovereignty.
