Disagreements have arisen between Brazilian President Lula da Silva and Defense Minister Celso Amorim over the cancellation of the tender for the supply of Israeli Atmos 2000 self-propelled artillery systems.
This was reported by the Spanish-language military website Defensa.
Brazil has suspended the signing of an agreement to purchase 36 Atmos 2000 units produced by the Israeli company Elbit, despite the tender already held, in which the Israeli self-propelled guns won. The contract amount was $200 million. According to the plan, the Israeli company would provide two of the test units and the remaining 34 would be assembled locally, creating hundreds of new jobs.
However, the political situation interfered with the process. President Lula da Silva, known for his anti-Israeli stance, suspended the deal under the influence of adviser Celso Amorim. He proposed to transfer the victory in the tender to the Czech company Excalibur International with self-propelled guns Susana 2, which provoked protests from Defense Minister José Mucio. Mucio stressed that interference for political reasons undermines Brazil’s reputation as a reliable partner.
The Brazilian Ministry of Defense has rejected the proposed purchase of the Susana 2 and the minister has sent a letter to the Federal Court of Accounts asking for clarification of the situation. The chamber is expected to make a decision soon and complete the deal with Elbit.
Earlier, Cursor reported that Brazil had recalled its ambassador to Israel.
