Bolivia violated the immunity of a Brazilian Air Force plane which in October 2011 was carrying Defence minister Celso Amorim and with no search warrant proceeded to inspect the aircraft suspecting opposition Senator Roger Pinto might be on board, claimed Brazilian authorities.
Brazil's defence industry is booming, fuelled by government incentives to modernize the country's armed forces and develop a robust, export-oriented military industrial complex. With the world's sixth largest economy, Brazil was ranked as the eighth largest arms exporter in the 1980s but currently languishes in 30th place, according to industry experts
The Brazilian Army and Navy have not handed over documents dating back to the years of the military dictatorship (1964/1985), in spite of an official request from former president Lula da Silva five years ago.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff strongly supported the need to spend money on defence at a time when she is making big budget cuts in many areas.
French resistance to the resumption of Mercosur European Union trade talks caused great disappointment among the block’s members, but Brazil believes it has a strong bargaining chip for a greater opening of the European agriculture market: the several billions US dollars fighter planes contract for the Brazilian Air Force.