Cooperation for autonomy? Explaining the paradox of brazilian foreign policy to Unasur

Abstract

How to explain the apparently paradox in Brazilian Foreign Policy to South-American regionalism? The specialized academic literature points to a Brazilian detachment in South America related to cooperation and integration. This distance, however, did not dismantle the already stabilized regionalism (Mercosur) nor prevented the establishment of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). This paper analyses Brazilian Foreign Policy (PEB) strategy to South-American regionalism, having as a Case Study Brazil's policies in actions related to UNASUR. By formulating the concept of Cooperation for Autonomy the study delivers an answer to the puzzle. The article use Case Study methodologies combined with foreign policy models (Hermann). This paper hypothesis claims that the low level of Lula's government engagement towards institutional development and giving responsibility to UNASUR can be explained be the desire of, on the one hand distance Brazilian Foreign Policy to more global arenas and issues and, on the other hand, anchor this distancing in a state-centric logic. To this strategy, however, is added the interest of ensuring Brazilian economic and commercial gains in the region and maintaining stability in security related topics in the subcontinent. As a result, Brazil adopts a low profile in the region, decreasing its costs with South America at the same time as it seeks to preserve its autonomy. In order to verify the hypothesis, the paper analyzed Brazilian regional cooperation initiatives in fields as trade (expanded Mercosur), infrastructure (IIRSA) and defense (CDS). The research concluded that the PEB profile towards UNASUR shows small adjusts in the country relations with neighbor nations. Differing from the apparent rupture in Foreign Policy, this strategy preserves previous Brazilian gains with regionalism without creating obstacles to its major international insertion and its search for extra regional Foreign Policy goals.

KEYWORDS:
UNASUR; Brazilian Foreign Policy; Autonomy; Detachment; South America