Brazil Partnership

In March of 2019, the New York National Guard became partners in National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program with the country of Brazil with the Thursday signing of a Partnership Declaration between Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, and Brazilian Navy Rear Adm. Guilherme da Silva Costa, representing the Brazilian National Defense Force, aboard the Intrepid Air & Space Museum. Commenting at the time on the signing, US Southern Command Commander Admiral Faller said, “As the hemisphere's two largest democracies, our relationship has been built on an enduring promise to one another: to be steadfast, committed, and co-equal partners that work together to achieve a cooperative, prosperous, and secure hemisphere,”. Later he also commented “It's a relationship grounded in shared values, like respect for human rights and the importance of transparency and accountability.”

New York and Brazil have unique ties to one another, ranging from the Brazilian-American communities in Mount Vernon and Astoria, the “Little Brazil” section of Manhattan, the annual New York City Brazil Day each September and some 300 commercial businesses with ties to New York and Brazil.

A New York National Guard bilateral relations officer is assigned to the United States Embassy in Brasilia to plan and coordinate training and exchange programs between the two nations.