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Sustainable economic management of protected areas constitutes a new research agenda in Brazil. Gaps are related to lack of systematized and updated data on the budgetary situation of the National System of Conservation Units. More than identifying or quantifying alternatives to the reduced budgetary or financial resources, more visibility concerning its institutional components is in order. This issue involves the effectiveness of the national project of territorial enlargement of the Brazilian protected areas, in the sense that each new hectaire protected 'in paper', represents an increased demand for resources-financial, material, and human-required for efficient management. Our analysis emphazises emphazises the institutional and operational gaps occurring as a result of receiving and applying such resources. As well, we provide analytical elements to improve our understanding of frequent institutional impasses in this process. Given our institutional perspective, the expansion of protected areas is seen as facing weak techno-bureaucratic structures unable to operate and consolidate effective financial alternatives. We hope this article contributes to ongoing research on the institutional requirements of sustainability in the national context of Latin America and the Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]