Description
From the early history of Brazil, the concept of grandeza, understood as the achievement of political capabilities to become a great power in world politics, has been a distinctive feature of its foreign policy. Brazil’s ‘rise’ in the first decade of the 2000’s presented challenges to the United States, the dominant actor in the international relations of the Americas. The Lula administration governed a country that had witnessed the consolidation of democracy following the end of military dictatorship in 1985. During Lula’s first tenure in office, the Brazilian economy experienced historic growth and prosperity, increasing Brasilia’s ability to influence politics in Latin America. Grandeza appeared an achievable outcome, but Brazil’s aspirations created new tensions with the United States. Following a Neoclassical Realist Approach to foreign policy decision making, the present paper analyses the US reaction to the regional power expectations that Brazil demonstrated during the Lula years, illustrating how certain intervening variables in the US and Brazil played a distinctive role in allowing Brazil’s consolidation as a leader. The paper examines military and security cooperation agreements between the two countries. It discusses the implications for regional security, bilateral relations between the US and Brazil, and power distribution in the Hemisphere.
US foreign policy, neoclassical realism, Brazil, hemispheric influence, Grandeza, military cooperation.
