“le Brésil, ce n’est pas un pays serieux ” = ( Brazil is not a serious country “) ~ attributed to Charles de Gaulle Carlos, but actually uttered by Brazilian ambassador Alves de Souza Filho
The Lobster War (1961-1963), a pejorative term used by the press, was a dispute between the governments of Brazil and France.
The episode revolved around the illegal capture of lobsters , by French vessels fishing in the waters of the Northeastern coast of Brazil.
Both Brazil and France mobilized their military forces, although a shot was never fired.
The episode highlights how territorial disputes – say over the oil and fishing rights in the South China Sea – can escalate into saber rattling, and perhaps something larger when the stakes are higher.
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