브라질 룰라 “고개 숙이고 살 순 없어”…핵추진 잠수함 지원 약속

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pledged to support the development of a nuclear-powered submarine, stating that the nation must secure the necessary resources to complete the project. The Brazilian government recently froze its defense budget by a significant margin due to fiscal constraints. During a visit to the naval Arma Maritime Center in Espirito Santo, Lula inspected the country's nuclear program and promised to provide ample support for the development of the nuclear submarine.

This announcement came after three months of freezing the defense budget of 43.63 billion USD (approximately 1.76 trillion USD) due to fiscal austerity measures.

Lula highlighted the importance of long-term strategic investments, asserting that the country's sovereignty relies on such investments. He emphasized that words alone are insufficient and that the international community must recognize Brazil's commitment. Lula stated that Brazil should not "kneel and survive" like other large countries and that the nation should not delay any further.

The Brazilian nuclear submarine, the Avaré, is currently under construction with a length of approximately 6,000 tons, and the navy delayed the submarine's maiden voyage to 2038 due to funding shortages and technical challenges. Brazil began its nuclear submarine program in 1979, but faced numerous obstacles due to budget constraints and technical difficulties.

In 2008, Brazil signed a pact with France for nuclear propulsion technology transfer and design, but the project has been delayed due to domestic resource limitations and development costs.