SMUGGLING TRADE AS A PHENOMENON OF BRAZIL’S BORDER REGIONS

Abstract

Bac k g r o u n d. The article examines the problem of smuggling trade as one of the key challenges to Brazil’s border policy. The relevance of the topic lies in the fact that this type of activity not only causes significant economic losses to the state but also undermines regional security by contributing to the spread of organized crime, illegal migration, and shadow financial flows.

M e t h o d s. The research employs comparative-historical, analytical, systemic, and geopolitical methods. It analyzes international rankings, analytical reports, and materials from global media that highlight the scale of smuggling in Brazil, its socio-economic consequences, and the specifics of border policy that is aimed at such activity. A systematic approach is applied to examine the processes of contraband trade of natural resources, narcotic substances, and representatives of flora and fauna between Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

R e s u l t s. The research revealed that smuggling activity in Brazil’s border regions is a multidimensional phenomenon closely linked to social inequality, unemployment, corruption, and insufficient state presence in remote areas. Three main centers of illegal trade were identified: the Amazon Basin (smuggling of gold, timber, rare species of wildlife, and drugs), two areas of “Triple Frontier” zone (transit of narcotics), and the northern territories bordering Venezuela (trade in gold ingots and fuel). The study confirms that excessive economic regulations and bureaucracy stimulate the growth of the shadow economy. International factors play a crucial role, including the rise in global gold prices, demand for exotic flora and fauna, and the transit of narcotics to Europe through West Africa.

C o n c l u s i o n s. Smuggling in Brazil’s border regions is considered a complex socio-economic and political phenomenon of large-scale transnational nature that directly affects the stability of the entire South American continent. It is not only an economic issue but also a matter of regional security, as it strengthens organized crime with additional resources and weakens the institutional mechanisms of the state.