When Brazil published a document called National Defense Strategy in 2008, it established the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine as a priority. The project was budgeted at BRL 31.8 billion (USD 8.4 billion), with its conclusion expected to be in 2027.
In 2012, the Brazilian Armed Forces published its white paper on national defense, making vows to “considerably elevate Brazil’s defense capacity in the South Atlantic.” Since then, however, Brazil’s economy took a nosedive, power company executives were convicted for corruption, and projects on nuclear energy have stalled. So, what’s the state of the Brazilian nuclear program as of now?
That’s what we will talk about this week.
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Leonam dos Santos Guimarães is the president of Brazil’s state-owned nuclear power firm (Eletronuclear). He also served as the Coordinator of the Nuclear Propulsion Program at the Brazilian Navy’s Technological Center of São Paulo. He is a board member of the World Nuclear Association (WNA), and of the International Atomic Energy Agency Standing Advisory Group on Nuclear Energy (SAGNE).
Gustavo Ribeiro has extensive experience covering Brazilian politics. His work has been featured across Brazilian and French media outlets, including Veja, Época, Folha de São Paulo, Médiapart, and Radio France Internationale. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Abril Prize for outstanding political journalism. He holds a master’s degree in Political Science and Latin American studies from Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris.
This podcast was produced by Maria Martha Bruno. She is a journalist with 14 years of experience in politics, arts, and breaking news. She has collaborated with Al Jazeera, NBC, and CNN, among others, and worked as an international correspondent in Buenos Aires. Do you have a suggestion for our next Explaining Brazil podcast? Drop us a line at podcast@brazilian.report Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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