Brazil Focuses on Ties With Global South to Boost Influence

Brazil Focuses on Ties With Global South to Boost Influence

When Brazil tried to join the ranks of the world's diplomatic heavyweights, it did so loudly. In an attempt last year to convince the U.N. Security Council not to impose a third round of sanctions on Iran for refusing to freeze its uranium enrichment program, Brazil teamed up with Turkey to negotiate a nuclear fuel swap deal with Tehran. The maneuver failed: The council, under pressure from the U.S., U.K. and France, disregarded the agreement and went ahead with sanctions. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that when Dilma Rousseff took over as president of Brazil in January, she distanced her administration from Iran and warmed to the United States.

Nevertheless, despite the outcome of the mediation effort, Brazil's audacity had a lasting effect. "Brazil can no longer be accused of having too low a profile in world affairs," said former Foreign Minister Celso Amorim on May 16, at a talk hosted by the Americas Society. Now, Amorim says, "Brazil is accused of punching above its weight."

Brazil has become both strong enough and confident enough to play an active role on the world stage. But two of the country's leading foreign policy architects say Brazil remains focused on the more pragmatic task of cultivating relations with the developing world, particularly Latin America and Africa. That strategy, in turn, fuels Brazil's growing international clout. In an increasingly multipolar world, Brazil is emerging as a powerful voice representing the Global South in multilateral forums like the G-20, the World Trade Organization and discussions over greenhouse gas emissions.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review