Rise and Fall of Triumphalism in Brazilian Foreign Policy: The International Strategy of the Workers Party’s Governments (2003–2016)

Introduction: Turnaround and Let-Down – Making Sense of Brazil and Africa after the Surge

“…We heed the call for more structured work in English over Brazil's multifaceted external relations (Burges 2013, 4-7), successful or declining as they might be, while seeking to complement recent efforts that already provide general snapshots of such period (e.g. Lessa et al 2020;Casarões 2020). In order to demonstrate how the three dimensions -presidential, big business, and South-South cooperation -shaped Brazil's approach to the continent, the book will shed light on the role of resources as a driver, the importance of personal leadership, and the influence of the Brazilian diplomatic history and traditions in shaping Brazil's priorities in Africa.…”

It's always sunny in Brazil: images, stereotypes, ignorance, and the country’s international status

“…This approach to status in international relations highlights the importance of images and perceptions of nations in the process of increasing a states' status. However, apart from Brazil's real potential and its formal power attributes (which are not negligible), the country's status appears to lag in terms of its recognition as one of the most important global players (Spektor, 2016;Beaumont, 2019;Røren, 2020;Carvalho, 2020;Lessa;Becard;Galvão, 2020). One major obstacle that can hinder a country's efforts to raise its prestige is the perceptual/ideational-level, where the presence of external pervasive cultural biases -even racism -prevalent in the global system result from the preponderance of stereotypes about the country and its people (Nayar;Paul, 2002;Buarque, 2019).…”