Rio Radar

On February 27th, WikiLeaks began publishing the Global Intelligence Files, a collection of more than five million emails from Stratfor, a self-described “global intelligence” company. According to WikiLeaks’ press release, Stratfor “provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal’s Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defense Intelligence Agency.” As a private sector business employing intelligence strategies normally used by governments, the company is often referred to as a “shadow CIA.”

One of the first documents WikiLeaks released was an email regarding Stratfor’s partnership with a major Brazilian newspaper. According to the email, the newspaper will connect Stratfor with reporters who can answer questions about four broad categories: Brazil’s economy, infrastructure, defense, and national politics. Subcategories include port modernization projects, preparations for the World Cup, and anti-trafficking border defense strategies.

A recent article in Correio do Brasil suggests that the unnamed newspaper in question is O Globo, which is owned by Brazil’s largest media conglomerate. Suspicions were raised by a column published on February 16th by columnist Merval Pereira, in which the columnist writes Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s poor health in detail, and predicts his death before the next election. A Stratfor email published on February 27th discusses Chávez’s health and lifespan in similar terms. As WikiLeaks continues to post emails, the identity of the newspaper and the nature of the partnership may become clearer.

Another Stratfor email casts suspicion on President Lula’s military defense spending at the end of his final term.