“The Tucano station does not exist”. This was how Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira denied the existence of a Chinese military base in Bahia that had been denounced in a report by the United States Congress committee.
Vieira made the statement when responding to a call from the Chamber’s Foreign Relations Committee. He responded to a question from congressman Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO).
The deputy’s request says that according to the document “Brazil would be part of a group of Latin American countries that would host structures linked to the People’s Republic of China intended for launch and space monitoring activities, with potential strategic use and eventual military application.”
The base was identified as “Tucano Earth Station” and would be linked to the Brazilian company Ayla Space in partnership with the Chinese Beijing Tianlian Space Technology, whose official function would be to analyze satellite data.
Vieira said that there is no infrastructure installed at the site, but confirmed that the company Ayla Space signed a preliminary non-binding instrument to create a communication base with satellites. However, the application would have expired in 2024 without the project getting off the ground. He also said that the project requests authorization from Anatel, the telecommunications agency, to use a radio frequency to carry out its activities.
SEE ALSO:
- Could Brazil become a US target?
- US Congressional Committee Investigates China’s Operations in Brazil
