The largest country in South America is Brazil, which has such a large area that it shares borders with 10 countries, and borders almost all countries in South America except Ecuador and Chile. Brazil is known around the world for its neutral diplomacy, due to which there are many countries considered as allies of Brazil.
Does Brazil Have Official Allies?
Brazil does not have any official allies or military alliances such as NATO, but this does not mean that Brazil does not have good relations. Rather, Brazil has always had a policy of staying away from conflicts and preferring to resolve problems through dialogue.
Brazil is relatively close to Europe, which is why it has good relations and common interests with the United States and European countries. In addition to its relations with the United States and Western countries, Brazil also has good relations with the United States and European rivals, such as Russia and China.
Brazil balances the balance between world powers by joining groups such as BRICS, which include China, Russia, India, and South Africa. Brazil refrains from interfering in the sovereignty or internal affairs of any country, nor does it openly support any party.
Is Brazil an Ally of the US?
Brazil and the United States are not formal military allies, but the two countries have good relations and continue to cooperate with each other in various areas, such as defense cooperation, development, regional security, and economic growth. In 2019, President Donald Trump designated Brazil as a Non-NATO Ally. The United States is also Brazil's second largest trading partner.
Is Brazil an Ally of Russia?
Russia is not involved in a formal alliance with Brazil, but the two countries have diplomatic relations and cooperate with each other on some mutual interests. The two countries also cooperate through organizations such as BRICS to reduce Western powers and American influence. Despite joining groups such as BRICS, Brazil maintains neutrality in its diplomacy, such as not supporting Russia in the Crimea issue.
Even the UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 (27 March 2014) entitled "Crimea – Ukraine territorial integrity" was voted "Abstained" by Brazil.
Is China an ally of Brazil?
China is not an official ally of Brazil, but China and Brazil have good relations and strong diplomatic and economic ties. Chinese investment in Brazil is also growing rapidly. Brazil tries to balance other world powers by maintaining relations with China.
Brazil officially recognizes China's "One China Policy", which means it considers Taiwan to be part of China, but at the same time does not support invasion or war.
Allies and Enemies of Brazil
Now, many people interested in geopolitics are wondering, when Brazil's diplomacy is balanced, Which Countries are Considered Allies of Brazil? and which countries are considered Brazil's enemies?
As for allies, if we look at Brazil's past history, Brazil supported the Allied powers in both World War I (WW1) and World War II (WW2). The Allied powers included countries like Britain and the United States, with which Brazil still has good diplomatic relations. However, these relations may change to some extent with the change of governments, but overall the relations between the two countries remain good.
Despite having good relations with the United States, Brazil also has strong relations with emerging powers, such as China, Russia, India and South Africa. Brazil also has good relations with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. In addition, its relations with Portugal are also considered good due to historical ties.
Now, if we talk about Brazil's enemies, then Brazil has no official enemies, nor does it have any military enemies, but Argentina can be called a rival. Argentina is the only country that wants to lead in South America. Argentina is also a strong country economically that can compete with Brazil because the rest of the countries are not in a position to lead South America. And this rivalry between them is not new, this rivalry can also be said to be old.
In 1973, the US intelligence agency Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prepared an analytical report that was declassified and released to the public in 2007. According to this document, the rivalry between the two countries was increasing, especially when the Argentine military officer and former president Juan Perón came back to power. Brazil was becoming economically strong by 1970, while Argentina was weak. Brazil feared that the return of Juan Perón would turn the South American countries anti-Brazilian and anti-American.
But after 1980, relations between the two improved and in 1991 the MERCOSUR bloc was formed and both are part of it and both countries also trade.
Final Thoughts:
Brazil international relations focus on neutrality and diplomacy. Brazil keeps itself away from unnecessary conflicts and emphasizes solving problems through dialogue. Brazil also has relations and trade with countries that are criticized by the United States and Western countries.
But in some cases it also sides with one side, especially when it feels that a powerful country is taking advantage of its power to attack another country or is abusing its power, then Brazil also takes a stand against it. However, overall, Brazil's relations around the world are quite good.