Trouble in paradise as Bolsonaro government fights for archipelago

Sitting roughly 350 kilometers off Brazil’s northeastern coast, the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha is one of the most exclusive holiday destinations in the country. With its idyllic beaches and sparse population, it has become something of a millionaire’s playground. Rooms in its luxury hotels are often booked up for several months in advance.

But long before it became an exclusive tourist paradise, Fernando de Noronha had a long history of being fought over by various countries and governments.

Before the Portuguese Crown officially made the archipelago part of the captaincy of Pernambuco in 1700, Fernando de Noronha had been invaded by the British, French, and Dutch. In 1736, the islands were taken over by the French West India Company and renamed Isle Dauphine, before forces sent by the Portuguese government kicked the French out.

In 1942, during World War II, Fernando de Noronha was used as an advanced war base and officially became Brazilian federal territory, before being handed back to the state of Pernambuco in 1988.

And after all of these comings and goings, ending up in the creation of an idyllic beach resort, President Jair Bolsonaro is now discussing making Fernando de Noronha federal property once again. In one of his weekly live broadcasts on Facebook, Mr. Bolsonaro spoke of reclaiming the archipelago from the Pernambuco state government, decrying the high costs of tourism in the region and saying that paying BRL 100 (USD 18.54) to visit a beach was “absurd.”

Indeed, this declaration came after the president’s eldest son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, had visited the archipelago on holiday, illegally charging his plane tickets as parliamentary expenses. Once this came to light, Mr. Bolsonaro’s office called it a “mistake” and said they had canceled the expenses request.

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