Photo credit: Félix Mariano / BBC News Brazil
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General Laura Richardson is the first woman to lead Southcom
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The commander of the US Southern Command (Southcom), General Laura Richardson, said in an exclusive interview with BBC News Brasil that during the election campaign that ended, the Brazilian military did not seek support for an alleged military coup in the defeat of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in 2022.
“Absolutely not. You didn’t ask for any support. We didn’t discuss anything political,” the military said on Thursday (May 25).
Southcom is the US military command responsible for operations in South and Central America and the Caribbean.
The alleged involvement of the Brazilian military in plans to oppose the results of the 2022 elections and prevent the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) was investigated by federal police based on text messages sent by officials close to the former president Jair Bolsonaro were replaced.
Among them is Colonel Élcio Franco, who served as executive secretary of the health ministry and special adviser to the ministry of civil affairs, reporting to General Walter Braga Netto, who ran for vice president on Bolsonaro’s reelection candidate. The case is pending at the Federal Court of Justice (STF).
So far there is no evidence that the US government has given any form of support to the Brazilian military, which is dissatisfied with the election results.
However, the concern was considered in 2022 because the US government had a history of backing the 1964 coup in Brazil when the Brazilian military deposed thenPresident João Goulart, who was seen as a leftwing politician. who sympathized with the then communist bloc.
59 years after that episode, the US general arrived in Brazil this week to strengthen her ties with the current commanders of the Brazilian armed forces under a centreleft government. On Thursday, for example, she met Defense Minister José Múcio.
Laura Richardson is the first woman to lead Southcom. She was also previously the first woman to lead Northerncom and was responsible for the area covering the United States, Canada, Mexico and part of Greenland.
In the interview with BBC News Brasil, the general also spoke about what she describes as an “evil” action by the United States’ two main competitors for influence in Latin America and the Caribbean: China and Russia.
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Laura Richardson met Defense Minister José Múcio during a visit to Brazil this week
“They (China and Russia) are our main competitors. The Chinese are our main competitors in the region. Our national defense strategy poses the main challenge to the People’s Republic of China,” the official said.
In their opinion, China’s policy of funding infrastructure works such as ports and telecommunications networks would be worrying given the possibility that these could be used for some form of military purposes by the Beijing regime in the future.
Laura Richardson, a wars expert (she fought in Iraq and Afghanistan), avoided questioning whether President Lula was acting as a neutral actor in the context of the RussiaUkraine conflict.
“President Lula is a global leader. And he will make his own decisions. What Russia has done to Ukraine is an unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. point,” he said.
Check out the key excerpts from the interview:
United States and competition for influence in the region
BBC News Brasil You often mention the fact that China and Russia are currently the main competitors for influence in the region. Does Southern Command plan to expand its military presence in the region to meet this competition?
Laura Richardson We work with all our partner countries in the region and I think what we really bring to the table with the 28 likeminded democracies is democracy […] What is happening in the region is what I like to call a call to action between democracy and authoritarianism. And I believe when we show nations with similar values, we share democratic values.
BBC News Brasil Objectively speaking, is the Southern Command planning to expand its military presence in the region or not?
Richardson We will continue to do what we have been doing for many decades. If we need to increase military forces because we need to provide humanitarian assistance or disaster relief, we will likely increase military forces, and that will include other nations standing by to help deal with a disaster or crisis.
BBC News Brazil Why do you think China and Russia are the main competitors for influence in the region?
Richardson They are our main competitors. The Chinese are our main competitors in the region. The People’s Republic of China sees our national defense strategy as the greatest challenge. And so, in the region, I have concerns that out of the 31 countries in this region, 21 have joined the Belt, Road Initiative (aka the New Silk Road). There’s nothing wrong with that if it weren’t for things like $150 billion in contingency loans to countries and projects that aren’t being implemented properly, cost overruns, and sloppy work. Sometimes these projects create more problems than they solve.
BBC News Brasil You described the actions of Russia and China in Latin America and the Caribbean as evil. Do China and Russia pose a threat to this region or do they only represent US interests in the region?
Richardson I think that (it is a threat) to the interests of everyone, to the democracies in the region, and not only to American interests in the region. I mean… this is our region. It’s our neighborhood. If you look at their (China’s, Russia’s) evil activities in the region… It’s not just about the New Silk Road and failed projects. Why is so much invested? Why is there so much focus on seaports? Why is the focus on telecom, 4G and 5G? Mainland China has seen a major buildup of military capabilities from both conventional and nuclear arsenals. […] We have seen this in other regions of the world, in Africa and around the world. I am concerned about the dual use (civilian and military) of these structures.
BBC News Brasil On the other hand, do you think the United States has given countries in the region some option when it comes to these investments? You already said that some of these countries were desperate for investment…
Richardson And I think we can all do more as democratic, likeminded countries. Do Chinese companies bid lower in tenders (in Latin American countries) and cut prices? Are they offering what the project actually costs, or are there excessive costs associated with these projects? The answer is yes. We have to look closely at what is happening in the region and face up to this situation.
BBC News Brasil Do you think the Chinese government has competed fairly with the United States for influence in the region?
Richardson Regarding investments and critical infrastructure, I would say: I just present the facts as I see them and start putting all the pieces together. I let others decide if it’s fair or not. I point out evil activity when I see it. When we see that in Southern Command, let’s lay it out and ask, “What’s the point of this? What are you doing?” There is a lot going on.
BBC News Brasil You raised a lot of questions, but then I would like to ask you: what specific threats would China and Russia pose to Brazil, for example?
Richardson So I mainly talked about China. And I come back to the fact that China has a huge military buildup. So why are these Chinese stateowned companies investing so heavily in critical infrastructure in the region? And as for information, there is Russia Today (Russian information medium) and Sputnik Mundo (Russian information medium in Spanish), and the spread of disinformation in the region is increasing. They have over 31 million followers. There is no journalistic review in these organizations. Misinformation, fake news, and the deliberate intent to mislead the public are not okay.
BBC News Brasil A few weeks ago you said that China is manipulating governments in Latin America and the Caribbean. What evidence do you have that this type of manipulation took place? Do you think Brazil could ever be manipulated by the Chinese government?
Richardson I mention some things that China seems to be investing in. I see it as an extraction. When you arrive in a host country and don’t hire workers from that country for these billiondollar projects, that is the first example of not investing in the countries where these projects are being carried out.
BBC News Brasil But do you see Brazil as a country that can somehow be manipulated by the Chinese government?
Richardson We must keep our eyes open and be very aware of the situation in dealing with China at this time.
BBC News Brazil China has established a space base in Argentina and is negotiating a nuclear deal with the country. How concerned are you?
Richardson I’m concerned about space infrastructure in the region. And again I come back to critical infrastructure, seaports and telecommunications […] Yes, it is worrying.
BBC News Brazil The United States has space bases in different countries. Why couldn’t China have that?
Richardson Well… I ask myself again: Why is there so much investment in critical infrastructure in Latin America and this region in the western hemisphere?
BBC News Brasil But that’s a question: What do you think is behind this decision?
Richardson Well, it’s up to the audience to decide what to think. I present the facts as I see them and let the audience decide. And I’m not trying to pressure anyone into making a decision. As I said a few minutes ago, I am concerned about the dualuse nature[dieser Frameworks]. There is a communist government that does not respect the human rights of its own people and invests heavily in this region and we see what happens when a nation has the most influence and access to certain things […] I’m worried about this.
BBC News Brazil Last month President Lula was in China and said he wanted to strengthen ties with China. Are you concerned about strengthening BrazilChina ties?
Richardson Well, Brazil make their own decisions […] Am I worried? It doesn’t worry me because we have our relationship with Brazil and we will continue to work very closely with the country.
Bolsonaro, the military and the 2022 elections
Credit, US Embassy
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In 2021, Laura Richardson (right) arrived in Brazil and met with Brazilian military personnel shortly after taking charge of Southcom. Among the people he met was thenDefense Secretary Walter Braga Netto (in gray suit, left), who ran for vice president on Jair Bolsonaro’s 2022 presidential nomination.
BBC News Brasil I want to go back a bit because last year there was concern that former President Jair Bolsonaro and some senior military officials would not accept the election results. You had some talks with the Brazilian military at the time. Were you afraid of the possibility that members of the Brazilian armed forces would not accept the election results and be ready for a coup?
Richardson Our armed forces are very professional and so should we as soldiers. We have a longstanding relationship with the Brazilian military that, like us, is based on the rule of law, human rights and compliance with the constitution. We talked about military security cooperation and the professionalization of the armed forces. And I had no doubts about the professionalization of the Brazilian armed forces. They are extremely professional and know their role.
BBC News Brasil Did you ask for any kind of support in case you didn’t accept the election results of that time?
Richardson Absolutely not. They didn’t ask for any kind of support. We don’t discuss anything political.
BBC News Brasil At this point, do you think there were any signs that former President Bolsonaro or the military were ready for a coup?
Richardson We do not discuss political issues. We talked about military security cooperation, professionalization of our armed forces, (military) exercises and security challenges in the region […] What we discussed was the following. We don’t talk about political things.
Brazil and the War in Ukraine
Credit, Ricardo Stuckert/Presidency of the Republic
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During a visit to China in April this year, Lula said the United States should stop “sponsoring” the war in Ukraine.
BBC News Brasil Let’s talk about a military issue: the war in Ukraine. There has been some doubt in the international community as to whether President Lula has been neutral in his comments on the war in Ukraine. Do you see him as a neutral actor or do you currently see him more as an ally of Russia?
Richardson President Lula is a global leader and will make his own decisions. What Russia has done to Ukraine is an unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Point.
BBC News Brazil But President Lula said the United States must stop promoting the war. Do you agree with this statement?
Richardson It doesn’t matter if I agree or not. I come back to what I said earlier: what Russia has done is wrong.
BBC News Brazil Do you think Brazil is somehow capable of playing the role of peace broker in connection with the conflict in Ukraine?
Richardson I think if any leader is willing to take on that role and try to make peace, then I think everyone would want that to happen.
BBC News Brazil Do you think Brazil is fit to play that role given its military, political and economic weight?
Richardson I would say that if any country were able to broker peace, that would be welcome.
Alleged Russian espionage
BBC News Brazil For the past year, authorities have been investigating the existence of at least three suspected Russian spies operating under false Brazilian identities. Do you have evidence or fear that Russia has turned Brazil into some kind of spy nursery?
Richardson We need to be constantly aware of our surroundings and what appear to be our challenges, our opponents as I call them. Because they are unreliable. And we must keep our eyes peeled for what our opponents are capable of.
BBC News Brasil There have been at least two extradition requests for one of these suspected spies (Sergei Vladimirovich Cherkasov). One is from Russia and the other is from the United States. Would you be disappointed if the Brazilian government decided to extradite you to Russia rather than the United States?
Richardson I leave the handling of all these negotiations to our political leaders. Again, our focus is on the things we are doing with Brazil, on security cooperation to address security challenges in the region. That’s what we focus on.