Institut
Atlantique Sud

For sovereignty, geoeconomics and strategic cooperation in the South Atlantic.

French Blue Guyana and Brazilian Blue Amazon form a unique strategic window in the 21st century.

Europe depends on China for 97% of its magnesium, 71% of its gallium and 90–98% of its rare earths.

Together, Blue Guyana and Blue Amazon can become the lever of European and Brazilian sovereignty in critical minerals, offshore energy and maritime security.

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Institut Atlantique Sud
OUR IDENTITY

The Institute

An independent think tank serving a shared strategic vision between Europe and South America.

Mission

Turning hybrid vulnerabilities into opportunities for shared power between France and Brazil.

Vision

Positioning Blue Guyana as the strategic maritime hub of France and Europe in the South Atlantic, in partnership with Brazil's Blue Amazon.

Our values
Sovereignty
Geoeconomic pragmatism
Strategic cooperation
Intellectual independence
FOUNDING TEXT

Blue Guyana, Blue Amazon

The Manifesto “Blue Guyana, Blue Amazon” sets out the strategic doctrine of the Institut Atlantique Sud for the shared space between France and Brazil in the South Atlantic.

Download the Founding Manifesto (PDF)

This is the document that founds our vision.

EUROPEAN TERRITORY IN SOUTH AMERICA

Blue Guyana

As the only territory of the European Union in South America, French Guiana has an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 350,000 km².

Beyond current hybrid threats, Blue Guyana offers exceptional potential in:

  • Critical minerals (gold, bauxite, potential rare earths)
  • Green hydrogen (Hyguane project)
  • Strategic maritime hub position in the South Atlantic

The objective: move from a defensive posture to a proactive sovereignty strategy.

Key figures
350,000
km² of Exclusive Economic Zone
1
Only EU territory in South America
Political map of French Guiana and its Exclusive Economic Zone
Blue Guyana — Exclusive Economic Zone of 350,000 km²
ONLY EU TERRITORY IN SOUTH AMERICA
THE MARITIME HEART OF BRAZIL

Blue Amazon

A Brazilian maritime territory of 5.7 million km², Blue Amazon concentrates the bulk of Brazil’s economic and energy power in the 21st century:

95% of Brazilian foreign trade
95% of offshore oil and gas production
Almost all of the submarine cables connecting Brazil to the world
Major strategic resource

Critical mineral resources in the depths of the South Atlantic, notably on the Rio Grande Rise — one of the world's most important polymetallic nodule provinces.

Brazilian offshore oil platform
FRANCE–BRAZIL PARTNERSHIP

An unprecedented strategic cooperation in the South Atlantic

France and Brazil already share concrete operational cooperation:

  • Operation Guiana Shield
  • Dialogues 2+2
  • Scientific cooperation agreements

The Institute proposes to go further toward a genuine strategy of shared power.

Joint gold traceability
Joint seabed exploitation projects
Binational information fusion centre
Partnership in oceanographic research and offshore technologies
EUROPEAN DEPENDENCY & HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY

Critical minerals & Seabed exploitation

Europe is in a situation of extreme strategic dependency on China:

97%
Magnesium
71%
Gallium
90–98%
Rare earths

Blue Guyana and Blue Amazon represent one of the few genuine opportunities for sovereign diversification.

Inspired by the Japanese model of Sanae Takaichi, the Institute proposes:

Creation of a Franco-European sovereign fund (€500 million – €1 billion)
Partnerships in seabed exploitation
Responsible valorisation of polymetallic nodules and rare earths
Binational France–Brazil governance
INDEPENDENT STRUCTURE

Governance & Partners

A Franco-Brazilian initiative in advanced structuring phase to carry a sovereign vision in the South Atlantic.

Governance
Independent think tank

The Institut Atlantique Sud is an independent initiative dedicated to strategic analysis and the promotion of sovereign cooperation between France, Brazil and the European Union.

Phase 2026
Franco-Brazilian steering committee
Offices in Paris • São Paulo • Cayenne (planned)
Strategic partners
Network under construction
Institutions & Think tanks
Ongoing partnerships with research centres and academic institutions in France, Brazil and at European level, aligned with the challenges of maritime sovereignty and the security of critical supplies.
Existing operational cooperation
Operation Guiana Shield
France–Brazil 2+2 Dialogues
Oceanographic research
The Institute remains open to new institutional and academic partnerships sharing its vision of shared sovereignty in the Blue Guyana – Blue Amazon space.
FOUNDING LEADERSHIP

Founding Team

Three complementary profiles serving a shared strategic vision for the South Atlantic.

Antoine Bachelin Sena
Antoine Bachelin Sena
Founding President & Strategy Director
Intellectual Founder

Intellectual capital, publications, doctrinal vision “Blue Guyana / Blue Amazon”, institutional network in France, proprietary methodology.

Arthur Machado
Arthur Machado
Vice-President & Director of International Relations and Partnerships

Franco-Brazilian business network, access to patrons and international partners, development of the international entity, diplomatic networking.

Renato Giraldi
Renato Giraldi
Board Member & Director of Brazil Affairs and Institutional Development

Anchoring in the Brazilian institutional ecosystem, Brazil business network, operational coordination of the Brazilian entity, development of local partnerships.

INFLUENCE PLATFORM

Strategic Events

Privileged exchange formats for decision-makers and experts from the South Atlantic.

Exclusive Dinners

Confidential meetings, in a small circle, on sensitive strategic themes (maritime sovereignty, hybrid threats, critical minerals). By invitation only.

Private Briefings

Analysis and foresight sessions held in a restricted circle, for the Institute’s institutional partners and patrons.

Conferences & Dialogues

High-level events bringing together French, Brazilian and European experts on the major issues of the South Atlantic.

These formats, currently being structured, will be rolled out progressively from 2026.

ANALYSES & RECOMMENDATIONS

Publications

All publications — summaries and PDFs
STRATEGIC RESEARCH NOTE

Blue Guyana and Blue Amazon

In-depth and structured analysis of the issues of maritime sovereignty, critical minerals and strategic France–Brazil–EU cooperation in the South Atlantic. Long and documented version.

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STRATEGIC PROPOSAL — SOVEREIGN FUND

Franco-European Fund for Critical Minerals of Blue Guyana (FFEMC)

Complete proposal for a Franco-European sovereign fund dedicated to the valorisation of the strategic resources of Blue Guyana. An instrument to end Chinese predation on gold resources, secure European supplies of critical minerals and build a lever of economic power in South America — aligned with the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and inspired by Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund.

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STRATEGIC STUDY

Sanae Takaichi's strategy in deep-sea mining

Analysis of the Japanese deep-sea mining strategy led by Sanae Takaichi and the concrete lessons for Brazilian sovereignty over the Blue Amazon.

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STRATEGIC POSITION NOTE

France’s strategic context on critical minerals and French Guiana: a window of opportunity to secure

This note examines the unprecedented convergence, between 2022 and 2026, of the Varin report, the creation of DIAMMS, the mining code reform and Senate report no. 135 on the Guiana Shield. It analyses the structural bottlenecks that weaken this window of opportunity and proposes recommendations to secure it.

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STRATEGIC NOTE

Blue Amazon: the energy heart of Brazil in the 21st century

Analysis focused on the maritime reinvention of Brazilian power, the Equatorial Margin and seabed resources.

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All publications are available free of charge. The Institute encourages their dissemination in French, Brazilian and European decision-making circles.

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