Resistance to Military Rule in Brazil »

Foreign Policy in Brazil

Brazil is an extremely vast country and through out its sometimes tumultuous history it has played an important role in world politics.  Today, the Ministry of External relations is the government faction that is responsible for the management of all foreign relations issues regarding Brazil.  The foreign policy that Brazil has created in recent years shows that the country is truly emerging as a world power, and these policies are designed to protect the country’s national interests and security, as well as its ideological goals and economic prosperity.

The era between the Second World War and the year 1990 was full of great expansion by both democratic and military governments who were looking to increase Brazil’s worldly influence and pursue a state led industrial policy as well as an independent foreign policy.  Most recently, Brazilian foreign policy has aimed most directly at strengthening ties with other South American countries as well as engaging in multilateral diplomacy organizations like the United Nations and the Organization of American States, and sometimes acting as a countervailing force to United States political and economic influence in Latin America.

Brazil holds a unique position as it is a regional power in Latin America, a leader among many developing countries, and also an emerging world power, and so its foreign policy reflects all of these roles.  Generally, Brazilian foreign policy is based on principles of multilateralism, peaceful dispute settlement, and a lack of intervention in the affairs of other countries.  Brazil does however engage in multilateral diplomacy through participation in various organizations, and is increasingly developing important ties with developing countries in the continents of Asia and Africa.

One example of this multilateral action and Brazil’s role in developing country is their current command of a multinational United Nations stabilization force in Haiti called the MINUSTAH.  It is important to keep in mind, however, that Brazilian foreign policy has a tendency to emphasize regional integration before unilateral prerogatives, through organizations like the Union of South American Nations and the Southern Cone Common Market or Mercosul.

The country’s trade policy nicely compliments the political, business, and military ventures of Brazil.  The Ministry of Foreign Relations continues to dominate the creation of trade policy today, which sometimes causes the country’s commercial interests to be subsumed by a larger foreign policy goal, one example being enhancing Brazil’s influence through out Latin America and the world.  Concluding meaningful trade agreements with developed countries like the United States and the European Union would probably be immensely beneficial to Brazil’s long term economic self interests, but the Brazilian government has generally prioritized its leadership roles within organizations like Mercosul and so expanded trade ties with countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East instead.

Today, relations between the United States and Brazil are generally quite warm and friendly, which is excellent news for American tourists who which to travel to Brazil.  Though they often differ on foreign policy ideals, the two countries share a common goal of stability in many developing countries.

120 comments to Foreign Policy in Brazil

1 2 3
1 2 3
-->