Danilo Marcondes de Souza Neto

Rising Powers and The Security–Development Nexus: Brazil's Engagement with Guinea-Bissau

Over the past decade, Brazil has stepped up its involvement in international security and development. However, few studies have looked at how Brazils concrete experiences in post-conflict and fragile states have shaped its broader positions on key security and development issues (and vice versa). Analysing Brazils role in Guinea-Bissau, this article asks how Brazilian government actors interpret the intersection between security and development. Drawing on a combination of document analysis and interviews, findings suggest that the Brazilian government has rejected labels such as ‘failed state’ and ‘narco-state’ and that cooperation needs to address the multidimensional causes of Guinea-Bissaus instability. Brazils stress on combining security sector reform with broader institution-building and socioeconomic development reflects a somewhat different emphasis than the approach promoted by actors that have concentrated more narrowly on curbing the drug trade.

South−South cooperation and democracy in Africa: Brazil's role in Guinea-Bissau

Over the past decade, Brazilian foreign policy has struggled to balance two principles: respect for national sovereignty and the commitment to promote democracy and human rights both at home and abroad. Understanding how this balancing act affects Brazils relations with Africa has become particularly important because Brazilian cooperation with African partners has expanded considerably over the past decade. This article analyzes Brazils initiatives in democracy and human rights promotion in the context of Guinea-Bissau. We find that Brazils initiatives in this area are channeled through two interconnected venues: multilaterally, especially through the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries and the UN Peacebuilding Commission, and bilaterally, through the official technical development cooperation programs coordinated by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency. We argue that, in the case of Guinea-Bissau, Brazil has worked to maintain institution-building as an essential component of development and security efforts to stabilize the country.

O Brasil e a cooperação em defesa: a construção de uma identidade regional no Atlântico Sul

This article analyzes the cooperation that Brazil has been developing across the South Atlantic, showing that Brazil has adopted the role of region-builder, working to construct a South Atlantic identity while it secures for itself a position of preeminence. Such efforts begin to be contested by other actors from within and outside the region.

Rising powers and Antarctica: Brazil’s changing interests

Within the context of the post-Cold War period, rising power states have developed new regional and global interests, including with respect to Antarctica. In this paper, we analyse the role of Antarctica within Brazil’s rising power strategy, defined in terms of the foreign policy, defence strategy, and science and technology goals promoted by its policy elites. Focusing on the past decade, we find that Antarctica has gained greater visibility in all three aspects of Brazil’s rising power strategy. Regionally, Antarctica has become an important element within Brazil’s new defence policy for the South Atlantic region, as well as a way for Brazil to enhance cooperation with other South American states. In terms of its global ambitions, becoming a more active player within the Antarctic Treaty System is seen as a way for Brazil to participate more directly in debates with global reach. Finally, Antarctic research is viewed as a promising component of Brazil’s efforts to boost its science and technology capacity, and therefore its socio-economic development and competitiveness. In attaining these goals, Brazil faces a number of hurdles that became more evident after a 2012 fire destroyed most of its Antarctic base, although reconstruction efforts have produced new dynamics of cooperation, domestically and internationally.