“…Both countries have long held a symbolical role in each other's foreign agendas, due to historical-cultural connections rather than to geopolitical strategies (Barahona de Brito, 2005;Silva, 2007). Yet, despite being 'marked by paradoxes, exemplified by a rhetoric that gave common bonds a relevance that did not correspond to the facts' (Carvalho, 2016, ii), Portugal's status in Brazil and vice-versa persistently warrant regular accolades in political and academic circles (Cervo and Magalhães, 2000;Albuquerque and Romão, 2000;Knopffi, 2004). This state of affairs is best explained as much by historical promiscuity as by an oscillating narrative that falls back on fraternity in official speech and condescendence in informal exchanges.…”