Indonesia Threatens to Pull Out of Deal to Buy Brazilian Military Hardware

02/25/2015 - 08h51

The Indonesian government is threatening to renege on an agreement to purchase military technology from Brazil, following the deterioration in relations between the two countries after Indonesia's execution of Brazilian citizen Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira in January.

On Saturday (21), Indonesia recalled its new ambassador to Brazil, Toto Rivanto, and presented a formal complaint to the Brazilian authorities, after President Rousseff refused to receive Rivanto's credentials at a formal ceremony.

Following the incident, Jusuf Kalla, the Indonesian vice-president, said that Jakarta might reconsider the purchase of 16 EMB-314 Super Tucano combat planes as well as Brazilian-made launch missiles, according to the newspaper "The Jakarta Post".

Relations between the two countries have been increasingly tense since Indonesia executed Marco Archer for drug trafficking, despite President Rousseff's appeals for clemency.

Rousseff recalled the Brazilian ambassador in Jakarta following Archer's execution.

Rousseff has also requested clemency for Rodrigo Muxfeldt Gularte, another Brazilian citizen convicted of drug trafficking who is due to face a firing squad later this month.

In this case, Brazil has requested the suspension of the execution along with Gularte's hospitalization.

Gularte suffers from schizophrenia, as Indonesian authorities have acknowledged.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

Read the article in the original language

	Ismar Patrizki - 24.fev.2015/Reuters
	Indonesian President Joko Widodo (R) has denied clemency to Brazilian convict despite repeated pleas from Brazil