Agência Brasil
Fortaleza – A presidential decree signed on Monday (19) authorizes the Brazilian Air Force to shoot down aircraft being used to transport illegal drugs. In acordance with the law, before shooting down any aircraft a sequential procedure consisting of eight measures must be carefully followed.
The measures go from identification to warnings to attempts at persuading invaders to land. Only when all the eight measures fail, followed by specific authorization by the commander of the Air Force, can the invader aircraft be shot down.
The law does not permit destruction of military aircraft from other countries that enter Brazilian air space. Those aircraft can only be attacked in cases of self-defense, pursuant to United Nations regulations.
The new law will go into effect in 90 days, a period of time that Brazilians and foreigners will have to become familiar with the law.
