Operações de assistência humanitária no Caribe: uma ferramenta de geopolítica e projeção nacional

Abstract

The Caribbean Sea region is the scene of continual natural disasters resulting from hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The suffering imposed on the Caribbean population is mitigated by the international community through the provision of humanitarian assistance by civilian actors, coordinated by the UN through the deployment of humanitarian clusters by the Interagency Standing Committee and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. However, the participation of military resources in humanitarian activities is increasing in major calamities, following the principles laid down in the OSLO GUIDELINES handbook. This practice is inserted in the concept of Defense Diplomacy, where Armed Forces employment occurs without the coercive use of force. Considering that the Caribbean Sea region is defined as an area of interest by the National Defense Policy, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the possibility of using the Brazilian Armed Forces in humanitarian operations in the Caribbean Sea as a tool of Defense Diplomacy, in order to contribute to the increase of geopolitical influence and Brazilian projection in that region.