Amazonas incident

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 This article is a C-class article. It is written satisfactorily but needs improvement. This article is part of Altverse II.
Amazonas incident
Part of 2021–2022 Caribbean diplomatic crisis and the Second Cold War
Tomahawk missile sinking USS Agerholm (DD-826) 1982.JPEG
Video recording of the attack on the Amazonas from the deck of the escorting partner F Defensora
Date12 December, 2021
Location
Within the territorial waters of the United People's Committees (disputed)
Within international waters between the convergence of the maritime borders of the West Indies and the United People's Committees (disputed)
Result
  • The Amazonas F is sunken by the Continental Navy
  • All surviving Brazilian sailors are taken into Continental custody
  • Beginning of the 2021–22 Caribbean diplomatic crisis
  • Significant decline in relations between the CAS and the Continental States
Participants
 United Commonwealth
 United People's Committees

 Conference of American States

Commanders and leaders
United Commonwealth Daniel Muir
United Commonwealth Naomi Obernolte
United Commonwealth Capt. Randolph Williamson		 Brazil Capt. Raimundo Abril
Strength
1 Cruiser
 • CCS Evansville		 1 Corvette
 • Amazonas
Casualties and losses
8 injured 92 killed
28 captured

The Amazonas incident, also known as the Amazonas tragedy and the Amazonas massacre, was an international incident and military confrontation between the United Commonwealth and Brazil which saw 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 maritime borders of Trinidad and Tobago (the West Indies), the Andes and international waters.

The incident began in the morning of December 12, 2021, when the CCS Evansville, a Continental naval corvette, opened fire on the Amazonas, a Brazilian naval frigate. The Evansville, along with several other Continental ships, had been following the Amazonas and the Defensora since the previous morning after the former were discovered near the Andean coast by Continental forces. Continental naval forces were stationed in the Andes in response to civil unrest in the country. After exchanging fire for around fifty minutes, the Amazonas was sunk by the Evansville, who would receive minimal damage and would capture surviving Amazonas crewmen. The Defensora, which was ordered by the Amazonas to flee the area, would arrive in the West Indies.

There are differing accounts from both sides on how the incident occurred. The Continental and Andean government claimed the attack was considered justified as the Amazonas violated the sovereignty of the Andes by entering its designated waters and presented a threat to Continental forces after the ship allegedly attempted to ram into the Evansville. The Imperial Brazilian government claimed the attack was unjustified and in violation of international law, as the Amazonas and the Defensora were sailing in international waters. The Brazilian government also alleged the attack was staged in order to provoke an aggressive retaliation against the Andes, which would provide further justification for an armed conflict between the two South American rivals. The incident has been condemned and referred to by a number of nations, with the Conference of American States and NATO supportive of the Brazilian claims, while the Continental-led Chattanooga Pact and OMEAD supportive of the Continental and Andean claims. The League of Nations issued a response calling for "constructive dialogue" between the parties and the need to "avoid escalation" in the region.

The Amazonas incident has become the catalyst and starting point for the Caribbean diplomatic crisis which has seen record tensions and geopolitical conflict between the CAS and European Community against the Continental States, the Andeas and its allies in OMEAD and the Chattanooga Pact as a whole.

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 as a military frigate. Captain Raimundo Abril assumed 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 the northern Brazilian port of Santana. The group primarily consisted of the Amazonas, Defensora, Dom Pedro, and the Santana Primera

Prelude to attack

In November of 2021, the 4th Naval Defense Group was assigned to escort Brazilian naval craft in the Caribbean in response to the increased social and civil strife in the United People's Committees. Both the Andes and Brazil have had a historically tense relationship, with both nations viewed as the two main powers of South America and represent two separate major ideologies on the continent. In late November, the 4th Naval Defense Group would also receive the addition order to patrol the international waters outside of Andean territorial waters and to report any signs of possible Andean mobilization. In the same month, several naval vessels of the United Commonwealth would be stationed at ports along the Caribbean coast of the Andes in order to ensure the protection of Continental interests in the nation.

The 4th Naval Defense Group began patrolling near Trinidad and Tabago in December of 2021, with the island nation becoming the temporary headquarters of the Brazilian naval group. Around the same time, Continental naval forces began patrolling Andean territorial waters, at the request of the Andean government, in response to rumors that a coalition of anti-Continental and anti-Andean nations begun blockading the nation in order to further inflame the conflict. It is unknown whether the source of the rumor was credible or not.

Attack on the Amazonas

At around 9:40 PM EST (21:40 local time) on December 11, Continental naval forces, headed by the Evansville would discover the Amazonas and Defensora just outside of Andean territorial waters. The Evansville and its surrounding ships began pursuing the two Brazilian ships. Accounts began to vary as the pursuit continued into the next morning.

According to Continental and Andean officials, the Amazonas and Defensora ignored a number of warnings issued by the Evansville, which claimed that both ships had strayed into Andean territorial waters and were in violation of Andean sovereignty. Around 6:50 AM, the Evansville issued a final warning to the Brazilian vessels, threatening to use "lethal force" to protect Andean sovereignty. According to Evansville Captain Randolph Williamson, the Defensora re-entered international waters a few minutes later, however the Amazonas began to travel towards the Evansville in an "aggressive and confrontational" manner. According to Continental officials, the Evansville attempted to hail the Amazonas, but after no response, began firing upon the vessel, which according to Captain Williamson was traveling at "ramming speed". After around forty minutes of gunfire, the Amazonas was disabled and began to sink. Continental forces then gathered the survivors of the Brazilian vessel and placed them under arrest.

According to Brazilian officials, the Amazonas and Defensora were never hailed by the Evansville or any other Continental ship during the pursuit nor before being fired upon. Instead, the Amazonas attempted to hail the Evansville a number of times, mainly to inquire why Continental forces were pursuing the two ships "well outside Andean waters". The Amazonas would make a total of 20 communication attempts with the pursuing Continentals, according to the Brazilian government, all of which were met with no response. Around 6:50am, lookouts aboard the Amazonas noticed that the Evansville had turned its forward batteries towards both Brazilian ships, and allegedly spotted Contiental sailors loading the batteries. In response, Captain Raimundo Abril of the Amazonas ordered the Defensora, which was allegedly carrying important military cargo to increase speed away from the Evansville in the event that a skirmish would occur. Around 7:00am, the Evansville would reportedly open fire open the Amazonas, with the ship sustaining irreversible damage at around 7:36am and sinking shortly after. It was reported amongst the crew of the Defensora that the Amazonas attempted to join the ship in fleeing to Trinidad and Tabago before being fired upon by the Evansville.

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the incident, around twenty Brazilian sailors, including Captain Raimundo Abril, were captured and detained by Continental officials. Originally set to be delivered to the Andes, the twenty sailors were transferred to a naval air station in Augustinia. Following news of the incident, the Continental government demanded an apology from the Brazilian government, an acknowledgement of its violation of Andean sovereignty, and for a partial withdrawal of Brazilian naval forces from the Caribbean in exchange for the release of the Amazonas survivors. The Brazilian government would refuse Continental demands, and would in turn demand the immediate release of its sailors. An agreement between the two nations has yet to be made, and the status of the sailors in currently unconfirmed, though the Continental government has ensured that the sailors were being treated fairly.

Release of prisoners

International response

Main article: International reactions to the Amazonas incident
  • Antilles 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 Yankee 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.
  •  China: The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement denouncing border provocations and calling on countries to respect maritime borders, both in the Caribbean and in the South China Sea, adding that the incident was a "violation of Andean sovereignty" and that the CAS is engaging in "increasingly dangerous naval maneuvers." Chinese Foreign Minister Liu Jiaoren spoke by phone with his Andean and Continental counterparts about the situation.
  •  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, and would allege in a later statement that the incident was staged to provoke a war between Brazil and the Andes.
  •  Kingdom of 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.
  •  Superior: President Jennifer Granholm expressed her sadness for the loss of life in the incident, and has called upon the CAS to "make a swift and decisive decision" in terms of punishment for the United Commonwealth. Isaac Dillon denounced both the United Commonwealth and the Andes and accused the incident of being an example of Continental military aggression and expansionism. Andrew Keyes, Dillon's Secretary of Foreign Affairs nominee, has stated along with Dillon that the federal government will pursue sanctions against both the United Commonwealth and the Andes and will freeze Continental and Andean assets held in Superior.
  • United People's Committees 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.

In popular culture

The Amazonas incident is the subject of the documentary film Tragedy at Sea released by RBS Television on February 20, 2022. A memorial was held on 12 December 2022 in Brasilia and all of Brazil held a nationwide state of mourning on the one year anniversary of the event. The 28 survivors who were released earlier in the year were present and spoke to the media about the incident.

See also

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