| Photo: Reproduction/Chamber of Deputies

The Brazilian Navy had to expel a German ship that “spied” on Brazilian waters. According to information from the Armed Forces itself, the place where the vessel carried out irregular research is rich in resources such as cobalt, nickel, platinum, manganese and rare earths. The episode took place in April, but when questioned about the fact in a commission in the Chamber this Wednesday (17) the commander of the navy, Marcos Sampaio Olsen, classified the act as an “aggression to the Brazilian state”.

“That one [a invasão da embarcação alemã] it is an aggression against the Brazilian state, [uma agressão] criminal and the investigation pointed that out. A threat is everything that threatens the interests of the Brazilian state,” said Olsen during a hearing by the Foreign Affairs and National Defense commission in the Chamber of Deputies.

During the commission, Olsen refuted statements by Deputy Ricardo Salles (PL), that Brazil did not suffer from “threats” on its borders. The Navy commander also lamented the fact that the Brazilian marine coast does not have demarcated borders as it happens in terrestrial territory.

The Brazilian Armed Forces were informed of the vessel as “anomalous behavior” and Olsen informed that the ship would have started to dock in Montevideo, Uruguay. The commander then ordered the sending of a frigate to go to the Rio Grande Elevation, where the boat was on April 6th. The site is close to the coast of Santa Catarina, but the extent of the sea that belongs to Brazil in the region is the subject of international debates. Brazil considers the place its area of ​​influence.

It was confirmed that the ship was carrying out research in the marine subsoil and, after its identification, the German crew was ordered to suspend the expedition and withdraw from Brazil. The vessel was private and did not belong to the German Navy.