Gateway and neighbourhood: Brazilian perspective on South Atlantic security

Abstract

The chapter analyses current factors that influence the security environment in the South Atlantic from a Brazilian perspective, focusing not only on ‘hard’ (or state-centred) threats, but also on ‘soft’ threats derived from actors at the sub-national level such as piracy, drug-trafficking, and other forms of transnational crime. In contrast with the widespread perception that recent oil and gas discoveries in the region have led to a fundamental change in Brazil’s approach towards security in the South Atlantic, the authors underline that preservation of peace and stability in the region has been a long-standing strategic objective from the point of view of the country’s foreign and defence policies.