Jose Alencar, Brazil VP, Says Country Should Build Nuclear Arms

BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil's vice president says in an interview published Friday that his country should develop nuclear weapons. Other officials stressed that his comments were not government policy.

Jose Alencar, who also served as defense minister from 2004 to 2006, said in an interview with journalists from several Brazilian news media that his country does not have a program to develop nuclear weapons, but should: "We have to advance on that."

"The nuclear weapon, used as an instrument of deterrence, is of great importance for a country that has 15,000 kilometers of border to the west and a territorial sea" where oil reserves have been found, Alencar said.

Alencar aide Adriano Silva confirmed the comments published by newspapers including O Globo and O Estado de Sao Paulo. But he said they were personal opinions and not a position of the government.

Brazil's constitution prohibits nuclear weapons.

A spokesman for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also insisted that Alencar's "comments do not reflect the position of the government." The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to government policy.

Still, the remarks come at an embarrassing time; they were made on the very day that the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously for a sweeping strategy aimed at halting the spread of nuclear weapons and ultimately eliminating them.

Brazilian officials have promoted nuclear-generated electrical power and say they plan to build a nuclear-propelled submarine. But Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said in August that Brazil has no interest in nuclear weapons.

Alencar, who is not a member of the ruling party, sometimes expresses positions at odds with Silva's, said political analyst David Fleischer of the University of Brasilia.

Fleischer said Brazil abandoned efforts to develop nuclear weapons about 25 years ago when the military ceded control of the country to civilians.

Brazil also signed the 1988 Tlatelolco Treaty that bars nuclear arms in Latin America.

Comments

[SheikPA]

There have been several articles I read about Brazils interest and knowledge of nuclear weapons. If these findings are true , the United States must do everything in its power to halt this process from occurring. One of the actions I recommend is military action. We cannot allow any nation within our hemisphere to obtain nuclear weapons. This will be a direct threat to our security and our hegemony. An alteration of the balance of power unanimously always leads to war.

[roald]

But do they have enough oil for us to justify invasion?

[fbr79]

Of course you are just trying to be a smart alec.... but still, last time Brazil went to war with one of its neighbors Ulysses S. Grant was the President of the United States, remember? I think most people still can tell the difference between Lula and Ahmadinejad, and I'm not talking about Lula's robust physique versus Ahmadinejad's scrawny bod.

[cplKlyde]

You are wrong. If the war party decides that Lula is the enemy within six months the average American will believe he is as dangerous to the US as Chavez and Amedinejad. For the record neither of those men are a threat to the US but you wouldn't know that listening to our news media.

[FloresdelaHoz]

If Brazil goes nuclear, Argentina will follow. If Argentina goes nuclear so will Chile. If Chile goes nuclear, Peru and Colombia will follow.

[BKearney]

See what we started

[AndreMachado]

There has never been a war between 2 countries with nuclear weapons, I think that pretty much sums it up why anyone would want to have nuclear weapons.

They are a tool of peace not war, and remember the US were the only country to ever have used them.

[research]

until a suicide bomber gets one. But your point is good.

What if each country had one or two nukes? Certainly that would be a stabilizing factor. But countries are never satisfied wit 1 or 2 or even 10 nukes, they want 100's.

And what if we get a bio weapon out of control and the country decides to use nukes to try and stop the spread?

Humans seem h$ll bent on self destruction.

[FloresdelaHoz]

There has never been a Hispanic country with nuclear weapons. White and Black Portuguese Hispanics are a much more peaceful lot than Spanish Hispanics. The former want to have fun the latter is biologically unable to walk away from a fight.

Don't forget, Brazil would be Dutch but for the Spanish who blasted them out in the 1630s when Portugal was part of the Spanish throne.

[ForVivi]

"[Spanish Hispanics]­...biologi­cally unable to walk away from a fight."

Talk about stereotyping people!

[fbr79]

The Dutch had control (for two decades) of an area that would constitute less than two states in Northeastern Brazil, a small percentage of the total area of Brazil even by the standards of the 17th century. Portugal was part of the Spanish throne, but it was Portuguese men who fought the Dutch in Brazil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Brazil

There is not such thing as "Portuguese Hispanics". Your theory on races being peaceful versus "biologically unable to walk away from a fight" is just bizarre. Maybe you should go back to the last war where multiple countries in South America openly fought each other in a war to rethink your position.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraguay_War

[ToddlerJ]

Brazil has the opportunity to be a leading progressive country this century. Even in Brazil it apparantly is difficult to muzzle the VP.

[Y2KCockroach]

As one of the world's largest economies, Brazil is merely jockeying for its rightful place as a major power in the 21st century. It doesn't need any "umbrella" from us; in fact, its legitimacy with South America states will likely come from pushing back against us (note that they have been cutting major commercial deals with China and Japan for over twenty years). They also don't need nukes; who on earth is going to pick a fight with them? We have our hands full pacifying a bunch of RPG-toting Arab teenagers eight years on, and Brazil is supposed to be afraid of us? Happily, the Brazilian Constitution recognizes the repugnancy of nukes, and they will find their way forward as a major power in a manner that we never could.

[gakabani]

If Brazil were to develop nuclear weapons there will be a shift of power and hegemony from north (US) to south (Brazil). The time has come to look at Latin-America with a bit more respect i guess. Also, Iran will be of no relevance if Brazil were to develop nuclear weapons.

[watchTVgetSTUPID]

Our power hungry leaders will never cancel the Monroe Doctrine. We have owned the whole Hemisphere for over two Centuries.

[SanTang]

Except for Cuba. And sure the US can be proud of what they've done in Haiti.

[fbr79]

Let this Brazilian born and raised explain you the large differences between north and south...if you think American politicians are corrupt, then you never read a Brazilian newspaper's local politics section. If you think American health care is bad, then you never been to Rio and watched old people and children passing out while waiting in line for hours to be seen at a public clinic. If you think the American educational system is bad, then you have never entered a public school in Brazil where everything is missing and/or falling apart (my cousin makes $800 a month to teach 7th grade in the public sector). If you think our housing crisis is serious than you have never set eyes on some of the world's biggest shanty towns located throughout Brazil. I can go on and on for any social issue you put on the table. There is a reason why all developed countries have a vibrant Brazilian community. Brazil has one of the world largest economies and that doesn't stop children from dying of hunger and violence everyday. Nuclear weapons will not shift anything, nuclear weapons can't educate, feed or house anyone. Brazil has had nuclear power stations since the 80s, which account for less than 5% of our power production. This is just another politician letting his big ego show.

[Angie Cordeiro - Huffpost Blogger]

"...Nuclear weapons will not shift anything, nuclear weapons can't educate, feed or house anyone. Brazil has had nuclear power stations since the 80s, which account for less than 5% of our power production. This is just another politician letting his big ego show..."

Obrigado. ;-)

[worldtraveller]

c'mon things are improving rapidly.
As an American who almost killed himself in RIo, by accident. I got awesome care from the bombeiros in an UPA hospital. Couldn't have been better had I been at Mt. Sinai in NYC. cost $0. Prefeitura cleaning up all over the place. Police presence is now massive. Slums like Dona Marta with free internet. Not perfect but definitely much better.
Oh and I think the 5% nuclear has a lot to do with being blessed with massive hydro.

[Spencaa]

I think you are a bit overestimating Brazil's potential. Nukes doesn't = hegemony. How prosperous is Pakistan, exactly? Power is achieved through economics now, not through 'My guns are bigger then yours'.

[LMPE]

Lula already said that it's not the government's policy.

[D Right One]

Why do really poor countries want to spend absurd sums of money on something that want educate, feed, or heal their people. Really when you get down to it for those reasons alone, we, or anyone else, should get rid of nukes as well.

[research]

The us will invade or topple you democracy if you take care of the people instead of buying weapons.

[fbr79]

your thoughts are very simple, you must be a very happy person.

[lightningbolt]

Brazil doesn't need nukes. There are very few threats to it that would require nukes as deterrents. Latin America is also under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

[piul05]

With all that oil recently discovered, the Monroe doctrine firmly in place and watching what happens when a country decides to control that very resource?

Not sure about tan absence of need; ideally yes - but unfortunately double standard is abound.

[Durango]

Err, Amm Huh?

They need them to protect themselves from the US Nuclear umbrella.

Bush/Cheney proved that. The only real security for any nation is in owning nuclear weapons.

You think no one noticed what happened to Iraq?

[lightningbolt]

The U.S. is not going to nuke Latin America. What are you smoking?

[FoxIslander]

Very few threats...your right. We should abandon ours. As far as being under the US nuclear umbrella...how patronizing is that? We cant even provide health care to our citizens.

[fbr79]

Don't worry, neither can Brazil...they have the typical third-world country failed government provided health care system with a dash of private insurance companies for those who can afford and would like their families to actually have access to quality health care.

[watchTVgetSTUPID]

The Monroe Doctrine is exactly why Brazil, Venezuella and others are interested in the ability to protect themselves.

[fbr79]

Take one L out of Venezuela's name and PLEASE don't put Brazil in the same bag is Venezuela. Different country, culture, language, ethnicity, political and economical situation.