Carnival of Arms

Brazil is South America's dominant country by virtue of its sheer physical size and economic strength. Despite occasionally butting heads with Argentina, it is a peaceful member of the Mercosur trading bloc, has given up its nuclear weapons program by signing on with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has no real enemies in the region. One might think this would dampen its craving for weaponry, but Brazil has purchased (or been greenlighted to purchase) $1.08 billion in arms from the U.S. since 1993. In fact, Brazil's annual American arms-purchasing pace more than tripled between 1993 and 1997 (from $98,109,000 to $326,650,000), in spite of the lack of an enemy. Big-ticket items have included 14 LVTP-7A1 armored personnel carriers, four Sikorsky UH-60L helicopters, a couple of landing ships, and the lease of 91 used M60 tanks -- just in case Paraguayan troops start pouring across the border.

U.S. arms sales in the Clinton years Direct government sales Government-approved sales (scale in millions of dollars)

This scenario is unlikely, but Brazil appears to think it has some domestic enemies and hasn't hesitated to crack down on them. According to Amnesty International's 1998 Annual Report, "Hundreds of people were killed by police and death squads linked to the security forces in circumstances suggesting extrajudicial executions. Human-rights defenders were threatened and attacked. Those responsible for human-rights violation continued to benefit from impunity. Several people, including land-reform activists, faced criminal charges that appeared to be politically motivated. Torture and ill-treatment by police were reported to be widespread."

-- Paul D. Kretkowski

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