U S Army War College

The Amazon Region U S Army War College

In recent years international environmental issues have been intensely debated. Brazil in particular has been accused of pursuing policies detrimental to the health of the Amazon. Many so called "experts" from around the world --experts who have a deep misunderstanding of the ecology of jungles - started presenting solutions to preserve that environment which unfortunately questioned Brazilian sovereignty over the Amazon. This pressure has produced a high degree of counter-productive irritation, rather than generating what should be useful international cooperation with Brazil. Capitalizing on his knowledge and experience acquired after two years of living in the Amazon Region, the author addresses the main characteristics of the area and its people. Some examples of international attempts to interfere in the Brazilian Internal Affairs will be given, including the creation of myths and mythical histories. Finally, it will be presented Brazilian Policy and activities for the area, emphasizing the main projects that are been developed with the goal of implementing the concept of Sustainable Development.