Europe Dominates South America’s Militaries

Half of all weapons imported by South American countries over the past decade came from one place. It’s not their close neighbors in North America. Nor is it Asia, despite Russia’s high-profile arms deals with Venezuela. It’s the European Union.

Europe’s military hardware is deeply embedded within South America’s armies.

Between 2002 and 2011, 49 percent of weapons imported by South American nations come from EU countries, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s Arms Transfers Database.

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