Buscador
Brazil: Lusophony as a transregional bridge
Brazil’s foreign policy is often analyzed through the lens of its regional leadership or its participation in the BRICS and the G20. Yet one of its most strategic dimensions has been its relationship with the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP), a sphere that illustrates how a middle power can expand its autonomy in a multipolar international system by relying on resources that extend beyond economic and military power. During the governments of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003–2010), Brazil significantly reshaped its foreign policy. Rather than concentrating its international engagement on its traditional ties with the United States and Europe, it adopted a strategy that international relations scholars Vigevani and Cepaluni described as "autonomy through diversification": expanding its room for maneuver by building alliances with the Global South in order to reduce its dependence on the Global North. This approach was not unique to Brazil. Argentina under the Kirchners and Venezuela under Hugo Chávez also promoted South-South cooperation initiatives. However, Brazil possessed advantages that no other Latin American country could match: the Portuguese language, a strong Afro-descendant heritage, decades of technical cooperation, and a diplomatic corps with extensive multilateral experience. These soft power resources enabled Brazil to establish a distinctive presence in...
The voluntary blindness of Colombia’s self-righteous elite
Ideological convictions can become the filter that prevents people from recognizing risks when they come from their own side.
Football as a mirror: the World Cup and Democracy
Every four years, we think the FIFA World Cup is only about football. But all it takes is a closer look to realize that it also speaks about democracy, inequality, institutions, leadership, and the rules of the game.