Analysis: Differences between South American leaders have imploded Brazil’s foreign policy

Brazilian foreign policy for Latin America, designed by the Lula government in early 2023, faces serious challenges due to growing divergences among South American leaders, especially regarding the situation in Venezuela. According to an analysis by the director of the CNN in Brasilia, Daniel Rittner, during the program WW Brazil’s diplomatic planning is being “imploded” by the Venezuelan crisis.

The initial project of the Lula government aimed to strengthen Mercosur, recreate Unasur and provide Brazilian leadership in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). However, the current reality shows a scenario very different from that idealized.

Brazil’s isolation in Mercosur

In Mercosur, Brazil finds itself isolated, with the other three member countries adopting positions that differ from Brazilian diplomacy in relation to Venezuela. The situation is even more complex when it comes to Unasur, whose reconfiguration seems impossible due to the different positions of smaller countries, such as Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador, in relation to Brazil’s stance.

CELAC, in turn, has proven to be dysfunctional. One example of this is Panama’s recent proposal to hold a summit of heads of state on Venezuela with 17 countries, an initiative that does not have the support of Brazil, the largest country in the region, nor of Mexico or Colombia.

Rittner points out that there is no clear negotiating strategy on the part of Brazilian diplomacy. Although the government seeks to establish some type of negotiation or, at the very least, contain the damage to the Venezuelan opposition, regional differences make any effective action difficult.

The situation in Venezuela not only challenges Brazilian foreign policy, but also exposes the weaknesses of the international system in the region. With countries supporting Nicolás Maduro’s regime strong enough to resist sanctions, and multilateral organizations weakened, the scenario for a diplomatic resolution seems increasingly distant.

This diplomatic impasse highlights the need to reassess Brazil’s strategy for Latin America, seeking new paths for regional cooperation and tackling political crises such as that in Venezuela.