Soft Power, Hard Aspirations: the Shifting Role of Power in Brazilian Foreign Policy

Abstract

Journalists and policy analysts have highlighted the emergence of Brazil as a regional power. However, little attention has been paid to its foreign policy strategies. Brazil's rise to prominence in world politics represents the historical culmination of a foreign policy featuring two main strategies -persuasion and consensus building -both of which emphasise the use of soft power. We analyse four current foreign policy initiatives: the campaign for a permanent seat on the UNSC; the development of a nuclear submarine; Brazil's leadership of the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti; and government support for Brazilian multinationals. We suggest a growing tension between these initiatives and the two strategies identified above. These initiatives reflect the view current among some policymakers that if Brazil is to rise as a global power it must play by the rules of great power politics.

Brazilian International Development Cooperation and Public Opinion: Domestic Costs Faced by a Troubled Emerging Donor

“…Although not an innovation of the Brazilian Workers' Party (PT), under the Lula and Dilma administrations, South-South relations climbed to the top of Brazilian foreign policy priorities, with a significant increase in the number of cooperation agreements signed with developing countries (MENDONÇA JÚNIOR and FARIA, 2015). Simultaneously, over the last decade Brazil has shifted in status from a receiver to a donor of foreign aid 3 , while its integration strategy has been reinforced by the promotion of alliances and agreements with southern partners (APOLINÁRIO JÚNIOR, 2016;OLIVEIRA and ONUKI, 2012;PINHEIRO and GAIO, 2014;PUENTE, 2010;VALENÇA and CARVALHO, 2014) . There is no consensus on the definition of SSC but it is generally used to designate a wide range of phenomena regarding relations between developing countries.…”

Construindo a paz: a engenharia do exército como elemento de smart power do Brasil na MINUSTAH

“…Ainda que o uso de ferramentas de hard power possa ser visto em algumas passagens da história do país, especialmente quando os seus interesses fundamentais estiveram em jogo, estes eventos foram a exceção e não a regra. No final do século XX, especialmente a partir da década de 80, o uso das ferramentas de soft power reinou absoluto na busca da nação pela almejada inserção global (LUJÁN, 2016;SILVA, 2012;VALENÇA;CARVALHO, 2014).…”

“…O peso destas ferramentas oscilou ao longo do tempo, dependendo da ótica das elites que conduziam o país e da situação do poder militar, mas não foi comum o uso deliberado de ambas, de forma conjunta, a fim de gerar um efeito sinérgico. Esta situação começou a se alterar no início do século XXI, quando uma conjunção de fatores políticos e econômicos levou o Brasil a buscar maior protagonismo no cenário internacional (DORATIOTO, 2000;PECEQUILO, 2010;SOUZA, 2014;VALENÇA;CARVALHO, 2014).…”

O Papel Da Cooperação Humanitária Na Política Externa Brasileira Como Estratégia De Soft Power (2003-2016)

“…Given the absence of significant amounts of material components of power (Carvalho and Valença 2014), multilateralism and the participation in international forum were the best way for the country to increase its credibility in the international scenario. The country's international legitimacy would then derive from its greater participation in the international regimes, promoting multilateralism in international relations (De Campos Mello 2014).…”