The conception of the South Atlantic Ocean as an acute defense concern for the
Brazilian authorities gained momentum over the 2000s. In 2008, the National
Defense Strategy (EDN)
130 a document discussed between government, military
forces and civil society, declared both the Blue and Green Amazons the crux of
defense apprehensions for the Brazilian armed forces. The document was then
updated in 2012, under the Rousseff Presidency, in order to crystallize the main
pillars of the Brazilian strategic naval thinking, contemplated by a mostly deterrent
policy: denial of the use of the sea, control of adjacent maritime areas and projection
of power regionally. Following the 2012 EDN, Brazilian strategists have coined the
phrase “Brazilian strategic contour” (entorno estratégico brasileiro) to refer to most
sensitive areas surrounding Brazil in terms of defense considerations, a crucial part
of which is the South Atlantic Ocean. According to the Brazilian Navy, key strategic
and defense maritime areas for the country, in descending order of priority, are the
“vital area”, or the Blue Amazon; the “primary area”, which covers the South
Atlantic Ocean, defined as the part comprised between the 16
N parallel, the west
coast of Africa, Antarctica, eastern South America and the eastern Lesser Antilles
(excluding the Caribbean); and, finally, the “secondary area”, encompassing the
Caribbean Sea and the South Pacific Ocean. In sum, the so-called “Brazilian strategic
contour” comprises the “vital area” and the “primary area”, including the South
Atlantic Ocean, the West African coast and Antarctica.
131
The successful narrative created by the Brazilian Navy on the sovereignty
dimension of the Blue Amazon has leveraged the Navy to the spotlight of domestic
political debates, thus granting the Navy increased funding for strategic projects, as
well as greater awareness as to the need for a well-equipped force, capable to protect
the Brazilian Blue Amazon. In fact, the sovereignty and defense elements of the Blue
Amazon have in the Brazilian Navy their main guardian, which is bound by the
constitutional duty to defend the country from external threats, as well as to
safeguard the constitutional order domestically.
132 In its mission to dissuade traditional and modern marine threats off the Brazilian coast, which range from terrorism,
drug, arms and people trafficking, piracy, as well as climate change, ocean structural
modifications, marine pollution and biodiversity death, the Navy ought to be
equipped with trained personnel, best means and cutting-edge technology. If any
130 Ministério da Defesa do Brasil (2008), p. 4. Despite the relevance attributed to the defense of the
South Atlantic Ocean, due to Brazil’s marine resources and geopolitical interests therein, the 2008
Defense Strategy makes no reference to “Blue Amazon”.
131 Estratégia Nacional de Defesa (2012), pp. 19, 23. In addition to that, for further detail on each
strategic maritime area, see generally Pesce (2008).
132 To protect the Brazilian Blue Amazon, the Navy lays priority on denying potential enemy forces
access and use of Brazilian waters, pursuant to international law. Navy actions are informed by
strategic objectives delineated in the 2012 EDN, namely: protection of oil rigs, naval and port
facilities, archipelagos and oceanic islands within Brazilian jurisdictional waters; readiness to
respond to any threat to maritime trade routes, by state or unconventional, criminal forces, and
ability to join international peace operations, outside Brazilian jurisdictional waters, under the aegis
of the United Nations or multilateral organizations in the region. See Estratégia Nacional de Defesa
(2012), p. 69.
282
9 The Environmental Dimension of the “Brazilian Blue...
Brazilian authorities gained momentum over the 2000s. In 2008, the National
Defense Strategy (EDN)
130 a document discussed between government, military
forces and civil society, declared both the Blue and Green Amazons the crux of
defense apprehensions for the Brazilian armed forces. The document was then
updated in 2012, under the Rousseff Presidency, in order to crystallize the main
pillars of the Brazilian strategic naval thinking, contemplated by a mostly deterrent
policy: denial of the use of the sea, control of adjacent maritime areas and projection
of power regionally. Following the 2012 EDN, Brazilian strategists have coined the
phrase “Brazilian strategic contour” (entorno estratégico brasileiro) to refer to most
sensitive areas surrounding Brazil in terms of defense considerations, a crucial part
of which is the South Atlantic Ocean. According to the Brazilian Navy, key strategic
and defense maritime areas for the country, in descending order of priority, are the
“vital area”, or the Blue Amazon; the “primary area”, which covers the South
Atlantic Ocean, defined as the part comprised between the 16
N parallel, the west
coast of Africa, Antarctica, eastern South America and the eastern Lesser Antilles
(excluding the Caribbean); and, finally, the “secondary area”, encompassing the
Caribbean Sea and the South Pacific Ocean. In sum, the so-called “Brazilian strategic
contour” comprises the “vital area” and the “primary area”, including the South
Atlantic Ocean, the West African coast and Antarctica.
131
The successful narrative created by the Brazilian Navy on the sovereignty
dimension of the Blue Amazon has leveraged the Navy to the spotlight of domestic
political debates, thus granting the Navy increased funding for strategic projects, as
well as greater awareness as to the need for a well-equipped force, capable to protect
the Brazilian Blue Amazon. In fact, the sovereignty and defense elements of the Blue
Amazon have in the Brazilian Navy their main guardian, which is bound by the
constitutional duty to defend the country from external threats, as well as to
safeguard the constitutional order domestically.
132 In its mission to dissuade traditional and modern marine threats off the Brazilian coast, which range from terrorism,
drug, arms and people trafficking, piracy, as well as climate change, ocean structural
modifications, marine pollution and biodiversity death, the Navy ought to be
equipped with trained personnel, best means and cutting-edge technology. If any
130 Ministério da Defesa do Brasil (2008), p. 4. Despite the relevance attributed to the defense of the
South Atlantic Ocean, due to Brazil’s marine resources and geopolitical interests therein, the 2008
Defense Strategy makes no reference to “Blue Amazon”.
131 Estratégia Nacional de Defesa (2012), pp. 19, 23. In addition to that, for further detail on each
strategic maritime area, see generally Pesce (2008).
132 To protect the Brazilian Blue Amazon, the Navy lays priority on denying potential enemy forces
access and use of Brazilian waters, pursuant to international law. Navy actions are informed by
strategic objectives delineated in the 2012 EDN, namely: protection of oil rigs, naval and port
facilities, archipelagos and oceanic islands within Brazilian jurisdictional waters; readiness to
respond to any threat to maritime trade routes, by state or unconventional, criminal forces, and
ability to join international peace operations, outside Brazilian jurisdictional waters, under the aegis
of the United Nations or multilateral organizations in the region. See Estratégia Nacional de Defesa
(2012), p. 69.
282
9 The Environmental Dimension of the “Brazilian Blue...