Abstract
The end of the Cold War had profoundly affected Brazilian military thought, and, consequently, military planning and development, by the late 1990s. Recent evidence suggests that the Brazilian military is increasingly concerned with threats to national sovereignty putatively posed by international organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the most industrialized countries. Moreover, the Brazilian military sees such threats as likely to be clothed in the guise of "idealistic" concerns, including the protection of aboriginal (and other human) rights, and the protection of the environment.
The traditional military preoccupation with the Brazilian Amaz6nia has clearly been intensified by these perceptions. While low-intensity conflict with traffickers in contraband and with guerrillas remains a central concern in military planning for the region, there is increasing discussion by key military officers of larger threats. Reinforced by NATO's attack on Yugoslavia, a new, post-Cold War era in Brazilian military thought appears to be taking shape, one in which defense against direct threats to national sovereignty, principally in the vast Amazon region, has become a central tenet. Brazil's new "Policy for National Defense," and its creation of a civilian-led Ministry of Defense, should be seen in this new context.
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