Introduction

Brazil has always occupied a liminal position both in its sense of itself as a nation between the Global North and Global South, as well as (and perhaps more so) because of the ambiguous or even contradictory circumstances of its liberation; its proclamation of independence was delivered by the son of its former coloniser's King, calling into question the extent to which this newly emerging Empire could consider itself independent of its colonial roots.Even for Simon Bolívar himself, Brazil had been too diligent a student of European colonial mores and imperial ambitions to take its place among the newly independent Latin American nations at the Panama Congress of 1826, taking Brazilian elites' self perception at face value (Bethell, 2010, pp.462-463).This liminality can be seen in a number of historical and contemporary examples, including several instances of regional expansion, particularly during the mid-to late-19th century.We might cite Brazil's show of force during the invasion of Chiquitos and concurrent Cisplatine War, its role in the War of the Triple Alliance, or its annexation of the current-day State of Acre from Bolivia.From the mid-20th century, Brazil's regional endeavours played a direct role in shaping the course of the Cold War in the region by supplying militaryauthoritarian regimes with diplomatic support, credit, supplies, training, and by undermining left-wing politics more broadly, including by assisting Chilean authorities "in interrogating and torturing some of the 7000 prisoners held by coup leaders" (Harmer, 2012, p. 660).Brazil's material and ideological support for pan-Latin American dictatorships throughout the 1960's, 70's and 80's solidified the sense in which it occupied the place of the Global North within Latin America, rather than making common cause with its neighbours.At the same time, Brazilians have played a noteworthy role in supporting and offering solidarity to resistance movements across the continent, and beyond.It was ordinary Brazilian activists, operating at a distance from the state, who provided material and ideological support to those resisting dictatorship in Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina during the Cold War.Brazil's political exiles, for example, anchored their activism and solidarity in a shared struggle with neighbouring countries (Grimaldi, 2022).Inside Brazil, in 1977, the organisation Clamor

Geography · Political science · Regional science · International Development and Aid

• Brazil and 'Latin America

  Open Access•Leslie Bethell•Journal of Latin American Studies•2010

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