From Local to Global: Brazilian Foreign Policy under Lula's Era

Abstract

Brazil gained momentum in the last ten years in the international arena by approaching its foreign affairs in different ways. Rather than utilizing only its huge market and economic capabilities as have China and India, under the leadership of Lula Da Silva, Brazil sought to find its space in international politics by connecting its achievements in reducing poverty at home. This new approach, combined with the charismatic personality of former President Lula da Silva, mark a singular way the South American giant found insertion in the international system. The outcomes had spill-over effects in all domestic sectors of the Brazilian economy, and also had an enormous impact on Brazilian foreign affairs. The utilization of poverty-reduction policies to deal with the chronic and historic domestic inequality as an approach to a country's international affairs is one of the most characteristic and fundamental elements for understanding the current status of Brazil in current global politics.