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A Brazilian court convicted two US pilots of negligence for their role in the 2006 crash of a Brazilian airliner over the Amazon rain forest that killed 154 people, but the judge suspended their sentence.
Joseph Lepore and Jan Paul Paladino were flying a small business jet that clipped wings with a Boeing 737 operated by Brazilian airline Gol, causing the airliner to plunge into the jungle in one of Brazil's worst air disasters.
Federal Judge Murilo Mendes of the state of Mato Grosso said late yesterday the two pilots had failed to adequately check plane equipment that would have alerted them to the presence of other aircraft nearby.
Lepore and Paladino, who were unharmed in the incident and managed to land their jet safely, have consistently denied responsibility for the crash.
Mendes suspended a four-year sentence, instead requiring that the pilots do community service in the United States. The judge also temporarily suspended their pilot’s licenses.
Brazilian officials harshly criticised the US pilots in the first few weeks after the crash, but a preliminary report in 2006 by the Brazilian Air Force said both aircraft had been cleared to fly at 11,000 meters.
Attention later shifted toward complaints of air traffic controllers over excessive workload, low pay and blind spots in radar coverage.
A combination picture of images taken from a security camera video distributed by the Rio police shows students running from the classroom where gunman Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, 24,
Lula said the Iranian president would accede to his request if their ties meant anything.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to allow a woman sentenced in Iran to death by stoning to accept an offer of asylum in Brazil, local media reported.
The sentence imposed on Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani for an extra-marital relationship, which she denies, has caused an international outcry. It has been suspended pending a review by Iran’s judiciary but could still be carried out.
“I call on the supreme leader of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to permit Brazil to grant asylum to this woman,” state radio reported him as saying yesterday.
The two nations have drawn closer this year after Brazil pioneered diplomatic efforts backing Iran’s uranium enrichment work, which Tehran says it needs to produce power and for medical purposes. Many Western nations believe it is a front for developing a nuclear bomb.
Human rights group Amnesty International said Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted in 2006 of having an “illicit relationship” with two men and received 99 lashes as her sentence.
Despite this, the rights group said she was subsequently convicted of “adultery while being married,” which it said she denied, and for which she was sentenced to death by stoning.
The United States, the European Union, Britain and international human rights groups appealed for a stay of execution.
Earlier this week, in response to an online campaign in Brazil calling on him to intervene, Lula said he could not call on other leaders to disregard the laws of their country.
But his comments yesterday suggested he was willing to use his strengthened ties with Ahmadinejad to push for clemency for Mohammadi Ashtiani.
“If my friendship with the president of Iran is worth anything and if she is causing unease there, we will willingly receive her here,” Agencia Folha reported Lula as saying, adding he said he would call his Iranian counterpart to discuss it.
Lula was speaking during an electoral campaign event for his party’s chosen presidential candidate, Dilma Rousseff.
Lula will complete his second term in December and cannot run a third consecutive time in the elections due on October 3
Low blow: Luis Suarez (top) is hailed by team-mates following Uruguay's shoot-out win over Ghana
Bad boys: Suarez's handball (above) upset fans who recalled past World Cup crimes.Ghana failed to enter top 8 .
Anything worth having is a thing worth cheating for, W C Fields once mischievously suggested, and the vast majority of professional footballers would have reacted much as Luis Suarez did when a header was about to eliminate his team from this World Cup.
That's my boy: Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez is backing Suarez
Bad boys: Suarez's handball (above) upset fans who recalled past World Cup crimes such as Brazilian Rivaldo's play-acting (below left), Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal (below right) and German Harald Schumacher's foul on Patrick Battiston (bottom)
But it was the manner in which Suarez and his Uruguay team-mates responded to Ghana's failure to punish the crime that was so offensive; the sight of him punching the air when Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty and then Uruguay's players lifting Suarez on their shoulders when they won the subsequent penalty shoot-out. While headline writers branded it the 'hand of the devil', Suarez had the temerity to declare it 'the hand of God'. That he had superseded what he clearly considered a similar act of heroism by Diego Maradona against England in 1986.
'The Hand of God now belongs to me,' Suarez declared. 'Mine is the real Hand Of God. I made the best save of the tournament. Sometimes in training I play as a goalkeeper so it was worth it. There was no alternative but for me to do that and when they missed the penalty I thought: ''it is a miracle and we are alive in the tournament".'
Suarez sees nothing remotely wrong in his actions, nor, it seems, does anyone else among Uruguay's 3.5million population. At home he is being heralded a national hero and last night his coach, Oscar Tabarez, turned on this particular member of the 'British Press' for asking what he declared a 'shameful' question; for daring to ask if he was embarrassed by his side's failure to show any humility towards Africa's last hope during this first World Cup on African soil. I'd like you to ask Suarez that,' said a seething Tabarez. 'I'm embarrassed by what has been asked by the British Press. That is shameful. They have been speculating by a football action foreseen in the laws of the game.
'It happened in the Australia game. In 1990, Uruguay versus Spain, when a footballer was on the goal-line and blocked the ball with both hands. It was an instinctive act. Suarez couldn't foresee what happened afterwards.
'Don't talk to me about a lack of modesty. The Uruguayan people bring out our personal strength when we have to. We are very proud, and we're upset with this topic.
'We're proud of our performances and what we've contributed to the development of football at this World Cup. Uruguay went through almost three matches without a yellow card at all, so please don't tell me we're cheats.'
Nobody said they were. Well not during last night's press conference anyway. But Tabarez had missed the point, preferring to shift the blame on the media. Before turning on the nasty Brits he accused journalists from his own country of spying on training sessions and 'playing as war correspondents'.
Tabarez would no doubt agree that in preventing Dominic Adiyiah's header from crossing the line, Suarez had not displayed the cunning of a Maradona or a Thierry Henry; or the deviousness of Slaven Bilic in getting Laurent Blanc suspended for the final in 1998.
The incident might have sparked a debate about whether penalty goals should be introduced but, had Gyan scored, the red card Suarez received and the subsequent match ban would have been considered appropriate.
When Henry used his hand to deny the Republic of Ireland a place at this tournament, FIFA launched an inquiry. When Suarez parried that header, FIFA served him with a one-match ban. Fair enough.
No, the reason he has become a hate-figure for an entire continent, the reason much of the world will be united behind the Dutch when they appear at the Green Point Stadium this evening, is because of the absence of any remorse.
This photo released by the Brazilian state of Alagoas government, shows an aerial view of a flooded area of Jacuipe, in northeastern Alagoas state, Brazil, Monday, June 21, 2010. Officials said floods and mudslides have now killed at least 31 people in northeastern Brazil
The storms which have been hitting Brazil's northeastern region in the past few days have already caused 31 deaths in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas, local Civil Defense services said on Monday.
The situation took a turn for the worse after the Bom Conselho Dam, in the state of Pernambuco, broke down, causing the Mumbau River to overflow and flood several towns.
In Alagoas state, 19 people died and over 600 were injured. According to the local authorities, over 1,000 people are missing, but as several locations are isolated, it is impossible to know the real number of casualties.
Some 80,000 people were affected by the storms in the state, and 57,000 had to leave their homes. Twenty-one municipalities reported damages and 15 declared state of emergency.
In Pernambuco state, where the number of casualties reaches 12, the rain damaged 49 municipalities, 13 of which are in state of emergency. A total of 40,000 people had to leave their homes due to the storms.
The Brazilian government announced that it will provide financial aid to the two states. In his weekly radio show, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that he will meet with the states' governor to discuss the amount of the aid.
Two field hospitals will be set up in the towns of Jacuipe and Santana do Mundau, in Alagoas state. Additionally, an Air Force plane full of supplies will be sent to the region.
A raging fire consumed around 40,000 square metres of vegetation in an environmental park in the south of Rio de Janeiro yesterday
A raging fire consumed around 40,000 square metres of vegetation in a national park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil early yesterday morning.
Firefighters blamed the blaze on mini hot air balloons, released during parties to celebrate the Festas Juninas.
Firefighters blamed the blaze on mini hot air balloons with flaming wicks of wax-coated cotton, released during parties to celebrate the Festas Juninas
The balloons, which contained flaming wicks made of cotton coated in wax, are said to be responsible for half of all Rio's forest fires. The fire devoured vegetation on the Dos Cabritos hill, which separates the tourist neighbourhoods of Copacabana, Lagoa and Botafogo, in the south of Rio de Janeiro.
No one was injured, but many local residents left their homes at dawn, terrified by the growing flames.
Firefighters brought the fire under control using buckets of water drawn from a nearby pond and flown over the blaze by two helicopters.
The strong wind at night and low humidity hampered the work in the city and increased the chance of further outbreaks.
Yesterday afternoon, flames appeared on the hillside across the hill in Copacabana, and later an outbreak was spotted in an area called Finca. At dawn, the fire could still be seen raging in the south of the city.
Yesterday morning, Mayor Eduardo Paes visited a leisure area near where firefighters worked, and today he announced that the authorities would put in place an 'emergency plan for reforestation in the area.'
He then flew over the affected area. 'I want to remind people that releasing balloons devastates green areas and endangers aircraft. I call on people to denounce this game.'
The Secretary of State for Health and Civil Defence, Sergio Cortes, followed the work of firefighters during the night and also criticised the practice of releasing balloons.
'I'm sure that the authorities will investigate the causes and punish those responsible with the accuracy required,' he said.
Police yesterday began their probe into the fire. The fire department will provide reports to assist in the investigation of causes of the fire.
Swept away: Houses lie submerged after heavy flooding and mudslides killed at least 31 people in north eastern Brazil
Flooding and mudslides have killed at least 31 people in north eastern Brazil, officials said today.
Two states have been hit by heavy rain, causing rivers to burst their banks, and mudslides have hit areas where shacks are built on hillsides.
Civil defence officials in Alagoas state said 19 people have died and dozens of others were missing. At least 80,000 people have been driven from their homes by the floods.
In Pernambuco state, officials said 12 people have died and 42,000 were homeless.
The number of deaths is likely to rise because many areas have been cut off due to cuts in power and telephone lines.
In May 2009, flooding in the same area killed at least 44 people and left 380,000 homeless.
In this photo released by Rio de Janeiro state's press office, homes affected by rains and landslides are seen in the Morro de Borel neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. The heaviest rains in Rio de Janeiro's history triggered landslides Tuesday that killed at least 95 people as rising water turned roads into rivers and paralyzed Brazil's second-largest city.
Firefighters stand around the body of a person who was killed in a landslide in the Morro dos Prazeres area of the Santa Teresa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. The heaviest rains in Rio de Janeiro's history triggered landslides Tuesday that killed at least 95 people as rising water turned roads into rivers and paralyzed Brazil's second-largest city.
In this photo released by Rio de Janeiro state's press office, homes are seen in a neighborhood affected by the rain and landslides in Niteroi, Brazil, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. The heaviest rains in Rio de Janeiro's history triggered landslides Tuesday that killed at least 95 people as rising water turned roads into rivers and paralyzed Brazil's second-largest city.
Beleaguered rescue workers struggled early Thursday to find survivors after another mudslide surged into a rain-sodden hillside shantytown, engulfing at least 40 homes in a huge cascade of mud.
The state Civil Defense department said the latest slide unleashed by heavy rains hit in Rio's neighboring city of Niteroi. There was no word on how many were missing, but it was feared dozens were buried under the debris.
The coffins of the brothers Joice da Silva, 13, Jean da Silva, 9, Joel da Silva, and their aunt Rebeca, 12, who died in a landslide are buried at the Caju cemetery in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. The heaviest rains in Rio de Janeiro's history triggered landslides Tuesday that killed at least 138 people as rising water turned roads into rivers and paralyzed Brazil's second-largest city
Valmir Franca da Matta embraces his son Marcos Vinicius, 9, as rescue workers pull his body from the debris after a landslide in the Morro dos Prazeres area of the Santa Teresa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Flooding and mudslides from the heaviest deluge ever recorded in Rio killed at least 100 people and left many more homeless, officials said Wednesday as the rains finally began to ease. (
A resident carries items away from an area damaged by a landslide in the Caixa D'agua area of Niteroi, Brazil, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Flooding and mudslides from the heaviest deluge ever recorded in Rio killed at least 100 people and left many more homeless, officials said Wednesday as the rains finally began to ease.
Residents remove belongings from their damaged home after heavy rains and landslides in the Caixa D'agua area in Niteroi, Brazil, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Flooding and mudslides from the heaviest deluge ever recorded in Rio killed at least 100 people and left many more homeless, officials said Wednesday as the rains finally began to ease.
Firefighters work to pull a body from the debris after a landslide in the Morro dos Prazeres area of the Santa Teresa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. The heaviest rains in Rio de Janeiro's history triggered landslides Tuesday that killed at least 95 people as rising water turned roads into rivers and paralyzed Brazil's second-largest city
A man mourns for victim who died in a landslide in the Morro dos Prazeres area of the Santa Teresa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. The heaviest rains in Rio de Janeiro's history triggered landslides Tuesday that killed at least 95 people as rising water turned roads into rivers and paralyzed Brazil's second-largest city.
At least 145 people have been killed, mostly by landslides swept through slum areas
Although rain let up some late Wednesday, Alves Souza, commander of the firefighters in the Niteroi rescue operations carried out under electric lights, said the work was moving slowly. The wet, steep terrain made it dangerous for anyone trapped in the wreckage and those trying to pull victims out.
"We've managed to recover two bodies and the work is very intense, given the fact that the volume of material we have here is very large," Souza told the Globo television network.
Record rainfall since Monday afternoon triggered deadly mudslides across Rio's metropolitan area, causing at least 147 deaths. At least 60 people were missing, but that didn't include the dozens likely buried under the latest slide that hit Niteroi.
On Wednesday, Rodrigo de Almeira had dug for 15 hours through mud and debris, and he looked like it. Auburn mud covered his head, his ripped shirt, his torn jeans and his rubber sandals.
When asked if he had been able to save anyone from a landslide in the Pleasure Hill slum where he lives, he silently shook his head.
"Right there at least 15 people I know died," Almeira said, staring at a mound of mud and debris. Wood planks — remnants of the shacks engulfed by the surging earth — poked through the mud as 30 rescue workers gingerly dug at it with picks and shovels looking for survivors.
"We found a guy alive this morning, so we had hope," said Almeira, 28. "He didn't make it. We were told he died on his way to the hospital."
Because of the continuing rains, steep hillsides and loose earth, officials said there had been few successful rescues. One man, Carlos Eduardo Silva dos Santos, 24, was pulled alive from under a concrete wall in western Rio. Firefighters said they had no count on how many people had been rescued.
Nearly all the deaths occurred in mudslides that smashed through slums, yet another reminder that life in one of the world's most famous playgrounds is much different for the poor than it is for the rich.
Residents of the shantytowns often endure dangers such as the frequent shootouts between police and heavily armed drug gangs, and when heavy rain falls on slopes crowded with poorly built shacks, nature itself can deal out death.
Almeira and other slum residents say they have nowhere else to go if they want jobs in Rio's richer areas.
"The government wants to forcefully remove the residents living in danger, and that is understandable," said Leandro Ribeiro, another slum resident. "But where are we supposed to go? Some people have been living here for 30 years. This is their home."
Mayor Eduardo Paes said he was taking a tougher stand on forced relocations. He announced that 1,500 families were going to be removed from their homes on Pleasure Hill and in Rocinha, one of Latin America's largest slums.
"I don't want to spend next summer sleepless, worrying if the rains are going to kill somebody," he told reporters, without saying when the relocations would occur.
Rio was in chaos after the record rains this week. Trees and power lines were knocked down, enormous craters were carved in streets, wastewater flowed down to the city's white sand beaches and it was nearly impossible to get anywhere in the city of 6 million people.
In Rocinha, officials said 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain had fallen so far this month — three times the amount normally expected for all of April. Similar figures were seen across Rio's metropolitan area.
The Rio state Civil Defense department said at least 11,000 people were forced from their homes. Officials said potential mudslides threatened at least 10,000 houses in the city.
Rio de Janeiro state Gov. Sergio Cabral declared a three-day mourning period, and children were kept from schools Wednesday for a second straight day.
At least 113 people died, over 100 were injured and 1,410 were left homeless in a storm that devastated Brazil's southeastern state of Rio de Janeiro since Monday evening, authorities said Wednesday.
Most of the deaths were caused by mudslides as many shantytowns, where the poorer population lives, are located on hills.
According to Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes at a news conference, the situation "is better than it was yesterday."
"During the night, fortunately, there were no new landslides, but the risk still exists," he said.
The toll could rise further as dozens were reportedly still missing following the rains.
In less than 24 hours, the rainfall in the region reached 288 millimeters, surpassing the previous record of 245 millimeters registered in 1966, said Eduardo Paes.
Rivers and streams overflowed, flooding over 60 areas.
Rio's traffic was paralyzed as the storm began when commuters were getting off work.
The subway system registered a record number of passengers, and a train line was closed for over 20 hours as the stretches of the line were flooded. Ferry boat lines were operating with irregular intervals.
Several floods turned Rio's main highways and avenues into large rivers. The airports and main railway stations were closed temporarily.
The authorities advised citizens to stay at home and not to go out. Schools, courts and public offices were closed.
Earlier in the evening, State Governor Sergio Cabral declared three days of official mourning for the victims of the storm.
Rio's city hall started to collect food and clothing donations for people affected by the floods. The government also decided to open military police battalions to shelter the homeless.
The justice ministry has decided to send two helicopters and 60 firemen to join the rescue operation from Wednesday.
The weather forecast says it is expected to rain on Wednesday and continue to be rainy till the end of the week.
The death toll on Brazil's southeast coast rose to 60 on Saturday as rescuers combed through mounds of debris after three days of pounding rain unleashed deadly mudslides, state officials said.
At least 41 people were killed when a large part of a mountain collapsed into mud Friday, sliding into the upscale Sankay Inn resort in Angra dos Reis, two hours west of Rio de Janeiro.
More than three inches of rain accumulated in Rio's western regions over the past day, according to Geo-Rio, the state official weather forecast center. Brazilian forecasters are predicting more rain to come in the next few days in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Angra dos Reis is a popular destination for wealthy vacationers and celebrities, many of whom were spending New Year's in the resort town. According to local reports, the 24-year-old son of French President Nicolas Sarkozy was among the vacationers in the area this week. Pierre Sarkozy, 24, was staying at the home of Ivo Pitanguy, a top Brazilian plastic surgeon and family friend, the reports said.
The town is also home to one of Brazil's major nuclear plants -- the Central Nuclear Almirante Álvaro Alberto complex, managed by Electronuclear. Officials at the power plant denied reports they would shut down operations due to safety concerns raised by local officials.
The inundations began Wednesday. Erosion caused by the deluge created a massive crack in the Rio-Santos Highway, forcing authorities to shut down the road Saturday night.
Rio de Janeiro's State Gov. Sergio Cabral on Friday declared three days of mourning and ordered the state's civil defense rescue teams on duty round the clock.
In the poorer suburbs of Rio de Janeiro's Zona Norte, several makeshift homes built on steep slopes fell victim to mudslides, leaving at least 350 people homeless, the officials said.
In nearby Jacarepagua, rescuers carried three bodies of a family of four from the wreckage of their hilltop home after it was hit by a mudslide.
CNN affiliate Record TV broadcast the rescuers' attempt to find the family's toddler, Mariana. After sifting through rubble, the rescuers heard her cries emanating from beneath the rubble, dug her out and carried her to safety amid cheers. But hours later, the television station reported that the girl had died.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told reporters he will send marine and naval forces to aid in rescues in remote coastal areas where more bodies were believed to be trapped.
Twenty-two people were found dead on Friday after a small hotel and surrounding homes collapsed in the beach resort of Angra dos Reis, one of Brazil's most exclusive tourism destinations, the Rio de Janeiro state's civil defense said.
Television footage showed the Sankay hotel and a number of homes in Angra buried under a mountain of mud. Rescue teams, aided by helicopters and navy boats, were struggling to reach the area where the hotel collapsed, Pedro Machado, head of the firefighters' corps, told GloboNews television.
Civil defense authorities said about 40 people were registered at the hotel. They told Reuters heavy rains forecast for the coming days could make rescue work harder and trigger more mudslides.
"Rescue crews told us there is just so much mud and water there which, coupled with that fact that the site is one of very difficult access, force them to remove all the mud manually basically, without the aid of heavy equipment," a civil defense spokeswoman said in a phone interview.
On Thursday, a heavy downpour that triggered mudslides and floods killed as many as 19 people across Rio state, Brazil's third most populous.
Rio has Brazil's biggest oil reserves and is a top tourism destination. Angra, the Ilha Grande island and other cities on the coast are often visited by foreigners at this time of the year.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva offered Rio state authorities immediate assistance from navy patrols to help speed up rescue efforts, state Vice Governor Luiz Fernando Pezao told GloboNews.
Local media said most of the deaths in prior days occurred as shacks located in some poor areas collapsed. Heavy rain was forecast for greater Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's second-largest city.
Intense rainfall also triggered mudslides along some points of the Rio-Santos highway, with traffic halted near the historic city of Paraty, authorities said.
Photo taken on Jan. 2, 2010 shows an aerial view of houses inundated by flood in Sao Luis do Paraitinga, about 140 km from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jan. 2, 2010.
Rescurers carry a victim's body in Ilha Grande of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jan. 2, 2010.
Brazil order 50 Cougar Helicopter from france worth $12 billion . Will be assembled in Brazil itself . A transfer of technology that is vital for this deal between France and Brazil. Highly reliable helicopter and well used in many troubled times. Can used for wide range of missions including tactical troop transports , special ops, shipborne operations , surveillance, combat search and rescue , evacuation and others. Can carry side arm of 2 7.62mm general purpose machine guns , a 20 mm cannon , rocket launcher pods , air refueling capability , radar warning , able to continue to fly 30minute when fuel is zero and other more.
Brazil already ordered 5 Scorpene Submarine which are new generation of diesel electric attack submarine. They are highly automated new submarines with new diesel engine with air independent propulsion system which allow it to stay under water for more than 21 days without surfacing to recharge battery etc. Also equipped with all rounder weaponary consists of anti-ship,anti submarrine torpedoes , anti surface missiles. Have 6 torpedo tubes that can be all fired at once . Can consists of Black Shark wire guided torpodes with 50 km range and also shoot Exocet missiles(anti ship missile). Weaponary are all automated. Can carry crew of 31 man , with 9 person per shift to handle the whole submarine automation. Total of 18 torpedoes or missile , 30 mines can be carried at one time.
A Rafale fighter jet performs at the international Paris Air Show this summer. Under the deal, Brazil will acquire French-built Rafale fighter jets and military helicopters.Rafale is a twin-jet combat aircraft capable of carrying out a wide range of short- and long-range missions, including ground and sea attack, air defence and air superiority, reconnaissance, and high-accuracy strike or nuclear strike deterrence.
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy speaks during a press conference at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2009. Sarkozy is on a two-day official visit to Brazil.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy joke in front of a mirror during their arrival at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2009. Sarkozy is on a two-day official visit to Brazil.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Marisa Leticia ride on an open car during the Independence Day parade in Brasilia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2009.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaks during the Independence Day parade, in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Sep. 7, 2009. Sarkozy is on a two-day official visit to Brazil.
France´s President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva watch the Independence Day military parade in Brasilia, Monday, Sep. 7, 2009. Sarkozy is on a two-day official visit to Brazil.
Brazil's president said Monday his country is negotiating with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale combat jets, a sign that Dassault SA is the clear favorite over U.S. and Swedish companies to win the $2 billion-plus contract.
Stepping up an aggressive plan to fortify the defense of its valuable natural resources, Brazil said Monday that it had entered into a billion-dollar-plus agreement to buy 36 French fighter jets.
In a defense plan unveiled last year, Brazil detailed what it saw as the need to militarily protect its growing reserves of offshore oil as well as natural resources in the Amazon basin. On Monday, Lula said that the French fighter jets would help Brazil defend its borders.
The announcement by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva came during a Brazilian Independence Day visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Silva's office said negotiations have begun with Dassault, "taking into account the breadth of the proposed transfers of technology and the guarantees offered on the part of the French."
Sweden's Saab AB has been offering its Gripen fighter and Boeing Co. of the U.S. has proposed the F-18 Super Hornet for the Brazilian contract, which is expected to be worth about $2.2 billion to $2.5 billion.
A decisive factor was France's willingness to transfer technology to Brazil in the course of supplying it with Rafale fighter jets. Saab, maker of Gripen jets, and Boeing, maker of F-18 Super Hornets, were reluctant to do, Lula indicated in remarks last week in which he expressed a preference for the French planes.
The agreement follows a long-term pact signed in December and valued at $11 billion, under which Brazil and France will jointly build five submarines, one of them nuclear-powered. The vessels will be built at a new shipyard in Itaguai, an industrial zone near Rio that includes three new steel factories.
In addition, France is selling Brazil 50 military helicopters that will be assembled at a factory to be built in Minas Gerais state.
Sarkozy, meanwhile, told a news conference that France plans to acquire a dozen KC-390 military cargo transport planes made by Brazil's Embraer to replace U.S.-made C-130s it now uses.
A Brazilian deal would be a breakthrough for France, which has yet to find a foreign buyer for the jets. The French government has been trying for years to market the Rafales, from Saudi Arabia to India and elsewhere, but has yet to clinch a deal.
While the announcement gives Dassault an inside track on the sale, Silva indicated that the negotiations do not rule out purchase of a rival plane.
Sarkozy said his country has no worries about transferring technology to Brazil.
"France will be a trustworthy, efficient partner," he said. "We do not fear sharing technology."
Sarkozy also announced France supports Rio de Janeiro's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games — and asked that Brazil back France's proposal to host the 2018 winter games.
They also discussed plans for December's global warming summit in Denmark and this month's economic meeting of the Group of 20 in the United States.
Brazil already has agreed to buy five French Scorpene submarines, one of them with nuclear propulsion, and 50 Cougar helicopters for about $12 billion. All would be assembled in Brazil.
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Brazil has entered into final negotiations with France to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets, the two countries said on Monday during a visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
In exchange France has agreed to buy around a dozen KC-390 military cargo planes, a future jet-powered transport plane to be built by Brazil's Embraer.
France, seeking its first overseas buyer for the Rafale, has been competing against the United States and Sweden to sell 36 planes to help renew Brazil's air force.
The Rafale, manufactured by Dassault Aviation, was shortlisted along with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet supplied by Boeing and the lighter Gripen combat jet offered by Sweden's Saab.
Yves Robins, a spokesman for Dassault Aviation, said there was every reason to think Brazil would buy the Rafale planes.
We can imagine that it will be concluded definitively in 2010, if things go well, he said.
It is the latest skirmish in the global fighter jet market, reckoned to be worth around $17-billion (U.S.) a year.
