Brazil as a rising power in the Global South in the new international scenario: threats and opportunities facing hegemonic change

Abstract

This study aims to discuss Brazil's foreign policy options given the changes in the international system. Faced with a tenser environment and a peripheral position, the question arises as to whether the country should choose sides or maintain its autonomy. We argue that Brazil should continue to build on the legacy of its strategic actions in the face of past challenges to hegemony. The current situation narrows the space for hegemonic action and opens up possibilities for rupture, placing Brazil at a crossroads. Brazil is an active member of the BRICS and therefore part of the zone where the liberal order is being contested; it is also part of the zone of American influence in the Western Hemisphere and has a strong democratic regime, which makes it part of the Western front. We pay particular attention to the risks and opportunities in the main partnerships of the Global South, which contrasts with Brazil’s centuries-old partnership with the US and Europe. BRICS allows for an institutionalised rapprochement with non-Western powers on non-security issues without jeopardising Brazil’s rapprochement with the West. Our study is based on a contemporary historical approach to Brazil's relations with the great powers and the recent transformations in the international system.

Keywords: Brazilian Foreign Policy, Pragmatic Equidistance, China, United States, Autonomy.