Amazonas incident

  

Amazonas incident
Part of the Second Cold War
Video recording of the attack on the Amazonas from the deck of the escorting partner F Defensora
Date 12 December, 2021 – present (2 years, 9 months, 3 weeks and 1 day) Location Within the territorial waters of the United People's Committees (disputed) Within international waters between the convergence of the maritime borders of Trinidad and Tobago and the United People's Committees (disputed) Status Ongoing
Participants
United Commonwealth United People's Committees	Brazil CAS
Commanders and leaders
President Daniel Muir General Secretary Naomi Obernolte Capt. Randolph Williamson	Capt. Raimundo Abril
Strength
1 Cruiser  • CCS Evansville	1 Corvette  • Amazonas
Casualties and losses
8 injured	92 killed 28 captured

The Amazonas incident is an ongoing diplomatic crisis between the United Commonwealth and Brazil over the sinking of the Brazilian ship Amazonas by the CCS Evansville on December 12, 2021 off the coast of the United People's Committees. It is currently disputed where the ship was located, with the United Commonwealth claiming it was within territorial waters of the Andes and the Brazilian government claiming the Amazonas was in international waters at the tripoint of the martime borders of Trinidad and Tobago, the Andes and international waters.

According to the United Commonwealth and the United People's Committees, the naval vessel was sunk because the Amazonas violated Andean waters by entering and reentering it, and rammed into the CSS Evansville.

The Imperial Brazilian Navy denied the vessel ever entered Andean waters and that it was sunk on international waters.

The United Commonwealth was condemned by the the Conference of American States (CAS) for its actions, while the Organization for Mutual Economic Assistance and Development (OMEAD) condemned Brazil for its military developments in the Atlantic Ocean.

Amazonas

The F Amanzonas was a naval frigate apart of the 3rd Naval Group of the Imperial Brazilian Navy. Constructed from 1979 to 1982 and officially christened in 1983, the Amazonas has served the Brazilian navy in a number of capacities, the most notable of which was as an escort vessel. In 2002, the Amazonas, along with large portions of the Imperial Brazilian Navy would be modernized as apart of a greater military modernization project. It would re-enter active service in 2005. Captain Raimundo Abril would assume command of the ship in 2016 and the Amazonas would reassigned to the 4th Naval Defense Group (a sub-section of the 3rd Naval Group), being stationed in Santana.

International response

• Antilles: President Arian Lawrence released a formal statement condemning the Continental Navy for its attack on the Amazonas and accused the United Commonwealth of violating the maritime and territory sovereignty of Brazil by attacking the ship. In the statement, Lawrence accused the act of being "yet another example of the Continental regime's ongoing acts of aggression and expansionist policy in the Americas" and declared support behind Brazil. The United Commonwealth House of Representatives passed a resolution supporting Brazil with only eight representatives not voting in favor of it.
• Conference of American States: The American Parliament passed a non-binding resolution officially condemning the Amazonas incident and reiterated its stance that any attack against any of its member states would be viewed as an attack against all of its member states. The resolution also described what it perceived as "a disturbingly recent trend of the United Commonwealth relapsing to a Cold War-era mindset and reneging on contemporary CAS−UC cooperation" and urged its member states to "carefully reevaluate their respective proceedings" with the UC government.
• Brazil: In emergency session of the Chamber of Deputies, Prime Minister Rodrigo Leitão called the sinking "unjust" and a "violation of international law". In a statement, Leitão called for sanctions on the United Commonwealth and the Andes, and promised that the Brazilian response to the death and capture of Amazonas crewmen "will be met with justice". Leitão would also question the validity of Continental accusations that the Amazonas collided with the Evansville.
• Sierra: Minister of Foreign Affairs Maggie Chan condemned the Continental Navy for its sinking of the Amazonas and urged it to "respect the international law of the sea". Chan stated, "It should be made clear and resolute that Sierra's commitments with its partners with fellow CAS member states is unshakable and inviolable". Chan cited Sierra's defense obligations with Brazil and vowed to hold the United Commonwealth accountable for its actions. Chan further stated that "sanctions" would be a possible course of action. The Getty House released its own statement, insisting that "any and all efforts for diplomatic, peaceful resolution must be taken to consideration and exhausted before any military actions can be taken", and expressed "disappointment" in the United Commonwealth's handling of the situation.
• United People's Committees: Interim Chairwoman of the Communist Party Emilia Ortega and the Foreign Ministry of the UPC released a joint statement denouncing the accusations towards the Andean and Continental Navy attacking a Brazilian ship in international waters. Ortega accused the CAS and the Brazilian leadership in particular of "shamelessly exploiting the current situation" both in the Andes itself and the strained relations between the Andes and the United People's Committees" by what Ortega called an invasion of Andean territory.

See also

• Brazil–United Commonwealth relations
• Brazil–United Peoples Committees relations
• Territorial disputes of the United Commonwealth