Rio de Janeiro – The Brazilian Navy will substitute the ship which is participating in the United Nations (UN) Interim Force in Lebanon. Frigate Constituição (loosely translated as Constitution) will start operating as a replacement of Liberal, which has been in activity since December 2013. Frigate Constituição is expected to arrive in Beirut in a month’s time, where it will be the main support for the 12 foreign ships in the mission.
The frigate’s departure was set to take place this Wednesday (8th) from the Naval Base of Rio de Janeiro, with stopovers in the Brazilian city of Cabedelo (in Paraíba), Las Palmas (in Spain) and Civitavecchia (in Italy), according to the Navy. Upon arrival in Lebanon, she will be part of the interim force alongside two German ships, four Bangladeshi, two Greek, an Indonesian and two Turkish ones. Navy’s participation in the mission was approved by the National Congress of Brazil.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon is comprised of 35 countries, with roughly 10,000 military officers, police officers and civil servants and it is led by Brazilian Rear Admiral Walter Eduardo Bombarda. It was created 35 years ago to follow Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, “restoring international peace and security.” In the past years, it was reshaped in order to allow the arrival of humanitarian support. Frigate Constituição will return to Brazil in April 2015.
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
