BRAZIL — Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro promised that, if he wins the October elections, he will incorporate Brazil into the so-called “Shield of the Americas,” a security initiative promoted by the United States government to strengthen regional cooperation against drug trafficking and organized crime.
The senator and Liberal Party candidate declared during a
social media broadcast that Brazil would join the initiative starting next year
and would seek to become one of the countries participating in coordinated
actions against so-called narco-terrorism.
Bolsonaro maintained that Brazil's participation would allow
for greater cooperation in security matters, information sharing, and the fight
against drug and arms trafficking. He also stated that his potential government
would seek to strengthen actions against criminal organizations operating in
Brazilian territory.
Currently, Brazil is not part of the “Shield of the
Americas,” a US-led coalition that brings together several Latin American and
Caribbean countries around strategies against organized crime and drug
trafficking.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s proposal comes in the midst of his
campaign for the October presidential elections and places international
cooperation on security as one of the central themes of his electoral platform.