Brazil's Sivam
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BRAZIL’S SIVAM: AS IT MONITORS THE AMAZON, WILL IT FULFILL ITS HUMAN SECURITY PROMISE? By Thomaz Guedes da Costa Abstract As Brazil implements its System for Vigilance of the Amazon (SIVAM), the country’s leadership continues to tout the system as a major effort towards achieving its national security objectives—especially (a) preserving the country’s sovereignty over its territories in that tropical forest region; (b) assisting in Amazon law enforcement, particularly in deterring illegal flights associated with contraband and narco-trafficking; and (c) providing environmental information aimed at promoting sustainable development and the preservation of natural habitats in the Amazon. But while official arguments promise SIVAM will contribute to all three objectives, the lack of: (a) transparency in the program’s development and implementation; and (b) greater participation by non-official organizations in how SIVAM will gather, process, and disseminate information threatens the environmental and human security value of the system. or at least the past decade, significant political wished to expand the country’s national air traffic actors, opinion-makers, and the general public control system (SINDACTA) into its Amazonian F(both in Brazil and overseas) have paid region. But a lack of investment funds and the unprecedented attention to the Amazon region. They dauntingly large area that would have to be covered are primarily concerned with: (a) environmental by radar (equal to that of Western Europe) delayed protection of the area (as it becomes the backdrop for such an expansion. accelerated social and economic development); (b) Finally, a series of factors spurred the political will exploration of natural resources; and (c) criminal to launch SIVAM. First, as Brazil’s developmental activities with transnational implications. Reacting to policies in the Amazon became the object of increasing internal and external calls for more efficient foreign criticism and as the carbon dioxide cycle was governance of the region, the Brazilian government linked to global warming, Brazil’s federal authorities argues that the country’s new System for Vigilance of proposed a System for the Protection of the Amazon the Amazon (SIVAM) will, when fully implemented, (SIPAM) at the 1992 Rio Conference. SIPAM began play a key role in supporting the coordination of with a drive to map the region precisely as the first Brazilian federal policies in the region. Specifically, step towards establishing the Amazon as a zone in SIVAM is expected: (a) to help ensure Brazil’s which economics and ecology would be balanced. sovereignty over its portion of the Amazon; and (b) Simultaneously, Brazilian law-enforcement authorities to provide greater means to generate geophysical, demanded greater control of the region’s air traffic biological, and social data about the region as well as because of the growth of illegal drug-trafficking and to improve the quality of sustainable development cross-border smuggling fights in the early 1990s. But decision-making there. the decisive factor in the acceleration of SIVAM’s Since 1985, the Brazilian government has been development was the United States’ intensified push repeatedly shaken by contraband and security to curb drug production and smuggling from problems in the region and on its borders with other Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia by air detection and Amazonian countries such as Colombia and interception of suspect aircraft. As an immediate Venezuela. As a result, Brazilian authorities have consequence of such operations conducted by the Thomaz Guedes da Costa is an associate-researcher with the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development, Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil. Dr. Costa is also a professor at the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies of National Defense University, Washington, DC, where he directs the Defense Planning and Resource Management course of study. ECSP REPORT · ISSUE 7 47 Feature Articles United States and other countries in the arch from effectiveness will be drawn as parts of the system Venezuela to Bolivia, Brazilian President Fernando become operational, are tested, and acquire full Cardoso issued a directive in 1996 to impede access of capability.2 non-authorized flights across Brazil’s northwestern The SIVAM program was born in a politically border and to articulate the defense of its portion of powerful crib in the mid-1990s, as issues of economic the Amazon in reaction to strategies observed in development in the Amazon region clashed with neighboring countries (Presidential Directive, 23 environmental concerns. Despite the existence of February 1996). SIPAM, there was no clear national strategy in Brazil to protect the Amazon. The general perception was SIVAM: Components, Goals, and Development that market forces would continue to sustain those SIVAM is a complex combination of: (a) fixed, large agricultural projects and migratory movements mobile, and airborne radar; (b) ground sensors; (c) that were putting at risk the ecology of the region telecommunication networks; and (d) computerized without providing even remedial assistance to local data collection and information management communities and their traditional development (Silva, structures.1 Accusations by opposition parties and the 1999). While a large number of Brazilian congressional press of fraud and legal mismanagement in the initial representatives from the Amazon states were optimistic contract bid process for SIVAM caused delays and about SIVAM and its possibilities to bring investments protracted political difficulties for the program. But to their region, the program’s early history saw many the first contract was finally launched in March of controversies and much ambiguity—harsh battles over 1997, and first operations are estimated to begin in contracts, accusations of kickbacks and inside late 2002. Raytheon is the prime contractor for the information, and bureaucratic disputes that marred ground technical segment, which will include up to its technical conception and purposes. The results of 13 air traffic control sites and six mobile radars. The a Brazilian Senate investigation of irregularities in the aerial portion is supplied by Embraer, a Brazilian early stages of purchases by SIVAM’s contractors did aircraft manufacturer. It includes: five Embraer ERJ- not dispel the cloud of “shady deals” hanging over the 145SA planes equipped with Ericsson’s Erieye phased- program (Zaverucha, 1995). Additionally, as array radar; three ERJ-145RS planes for monitoring construction of the program’s radar stations and natural resources exploitation and environmental sensors has moved ahead, cost overrun and conflict of missions; eight to 12 weather radar stations; and a interests have come under investigation by Brazil’s variety of water and ground sensors and stations as Union Accounting Court (Fortes & Krieger, 2000). well as communication facilities and three regional Tangled by accusations of management information processing centers (at Belém, Manaus, and wrongdoing, the program has thus far shown little to Porto Velho). Air patrol in the region will be confirm its promise to provide useful environmental conducted mainly by Tucanos ALXs procured from information to the scientific research community. Embraer. Indeed, from SIVAM’s inception, national security Authorities—particularly in the Brazilian defense concerns of the Brazilian executive branch (first at the sector—are promising to use SIVAM to provide Brazil defunct Secretariat for Strategic Affairs and later the with the overall means: (a) to monitor human Ministry of Defense) have politically controlled the movements and activities and their impact on the initiative.3 This control has created a contradictory Amazon; (b) to increase knowledge about the region’s image. The most visual elements of SIVAM thus far environment, biodiversity, climate, and geophysical belong to the Air Force air defense project. features; and (c) to protect the Amazon’s environment Nevertheless, SIVAM’s proponents have accentuated while promoting local economic development there. its environmental protection capabilities in order to The first sketchy conclusions about SIVAM’s secure loans (particularly from within Brazil and from Author’s Note: This article responds to comments made during a seminar entitled “Brazil’s SIVAM Project: Implications for Security and Environmental Policies in the Amazon Basin,” which was held at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC on 14 June 2000. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. government. 48 ECSP REPORT · ISSUE 7 Brazil and Neighboring States Source: National Geographic Society international “green money” lenders) and to justify program. Current public information about SIVAM’s expenses for the project. Of the total twenty-year progress is limited. But one ought to at least start asking SIVAM budget of US $1.395 billion, the Export- questions both about the transparency of the program Import Bank of the United States is financing 73.3 and the criteria for evaluating the Brazilian percent through the Bank of Brazil. Raytheon is government’s commitment to using SIVAM for not financing 17.1 percent, and the Swedish Export Credits only national security but also for environmental data- Guarantee Board (EKN) is providing Ericsson the gathering and social objectives. other 6.1 percent. This is an interesting