LatinNews Daily Report - 18 October 2012

Brazil: On 11 October US President Barack Obama authorised the continuation of a programme that restricts the movement of planes suspected of being involved in drug trafficking in Brazilian airspace. Obama’s decision refers to clause 1012 of a 1995 Defence Law, which stipulates that the US executive needs to certify the programme’s airspace restrictions in countries such as Colombia and Brazil. According to the presidential memorandum, “I [Barack Obama] hereby certify, with respect to Brazil, that (1) interdiction of aircraft reasonably suspected to be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the national security of that country; and (2) that country has appropriate procedures in place to protect against innocent loss of life in the air and on the ground in connection with such interdiction, which shall at a minimum include effective means to identify and warn an aircraft before the use of force is directed against the aircraft.”

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