The continental figures that define Brazil’s geography clearly play a role in shaping its interests and challenges. The figures on the maritime and riverine domains correspond accordingly. Brazil faces the South Atlantic with a coast of nearly 8,000km and has degrees of jurisdiction over a maritime area around 4 million Km2. Besides, tens of thousands of navigable waterways, through river basins in the Amazon and the Paraná/Paraguay. 95% of its international trade runs by sea; and from the sea it extracts a great amount of its oil and natural gas. Such assets prompt Brazil to elaborate the Blue Amazon concept which encompasses its extensive surrounding waters.

On the global scale, in the South Atlantic space, Brazil plays an important role in cooperation, peace, maritime order, security and stability. the South Atlantic itself, in terms of disputes and interests at stake, may not currently compare to other maritime spaces such as the Indo-Pacific, and the Mediterranean, Baltic and North Seas, although obviously, interests are always relative to the actor in place and its own circumstances.

This lecture aims to provide a vision of how Brazil, through its Navy, addresses topics related to the South Atlantic Security framework along with other current and future challenges.

Speaker Bio:

Admiral Eduardo Bacellar Leal Ferreira graduated from the Brazilian Naval Academy in 1974.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 2004 and to Admiral in 2013. Born into a naval family - he is the son of Admiral Luiz Leal Ferreira - he holds a degree in Electronics and several degrees from the Brazilian Naval War College, such as the Command and Staff Officer Course, the Upper Naval War Course and the Maritime Policy and Strategy Course. He also completed the Regular Staff Officer Course from the Chilean Naval War Academy.

Throughout his career, he remained on board for more than seventeen years and spent more than 1,300 days at sea. Admiral Leal Ferreira served on Frigates “Defensora” and “União”, BN Training Ship “Custódio de Mello”, and Destroyer “Sergipe”. He was commander of three vessels: Instruction Ship “Aspirante Nascimento”, Corvette “Frontin” and Frigate “Bosísio” and also served as commander of the 2nd Escort Ships Squadron.

His staff assignments include duty on the Chief of Naval Operations staff and Operations Officer on the Office of the Ministry of Navy. He also served as Instructor of Seamanship and Navigation at the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis.

As Flag Officer, he served as the Chief of Staff  of the Commander in Chief of Fleet, President of the Navy Sports Commission, Commander of the “Almirante Alexandrino” Instruction Center,  Commander of the Brazilian Naval Academy,  Commander of the Seventh Naval District, Director, Ports and Coasts, Commander in Chief of the Fleet and  Commander of the Joint Superior War College.

Admiral Leal Ferreira´s awards include the Defense Merit, Naval Merit, Military Merit, Air Force Merit, Rio Branco (Diplomatic) Merit, Military Justice Merit, Military Public Prosecutor's Merit Order and the Sea Service Merit Medal with four anchors. He was awarded several foreign medals, including the United States Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

He assumed his duties as the Commander of the Brazilian Navy in February 2015.