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Brazil: Restructuring the Urban (Architectural Design)
by Hattie HartmanBrazil is a country of city dwellers undergoing radical transformation: over 85 per cent of the country’s citizens live in cities and over 40 per cent of the population live in metropolises of more than a million people. Whereas previously urban growth had been ad hoc, preparation for the FIFA World Cup in 12 cities across the country in 2014, and for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio, changed all that. Several Brazilian cities have proactively invested in infrastructure and the public realm. And a number of projects by international ‘starchitects’ have heightened interest in Brazil from architects and urban practitioners abroad. The failure of public authorities to meet their ambitious aspirations for the sporting mega-events sparked a series of street protests across the country under the banner of ‘the right to the city’, beginning in 2013. For Brazil, this was an entirely new phenomenon, one which has unveiled the potential for bottom-up influences to effect urban change. The focus of this issue, though, is on design projects that contribute a strong sense of place to their respective cities, highlighting also the integration of landscape design in urban planning and community interventions that seek to address the enormous disparity between the lives of the country’s rich and poor. Contributors: Ricky Burdett, Thomas Deckker, Gabriel Duarte, Sergio Ekerman, Nanda Eskes and André Vieira, Alexandre Hepner and Silvio Soares Macedo, Circe Monteiro and Luiz Carvalho, Joana Carla Soares Gonçalves, Jaime Lerner, Ana Luiza Nobre, Justin McGuirk, Francesco Perrotta-Bosch, Maria do Rocio Rosário, Fernando Serapião, Guilherme Wisnik Featured architects: AECOM, Biselli Katchborian, Brasil Arquitetura, Santiago Calatrava, Studio Arthur Casas, Diller Scofdio + Renfro, Herzog & de Meuron, Vigliecca & Associados
Brazil: The Fortunes of War
by Neill LocheryIn 1939, Brazil seemed a world away from the chaos overtaking Europe. Yet despite its bucolic reputation as a distant land of palm trees and pristine beaches, Brazil’s natural resources and proximity to the United States made it strategically invaluable to both the Allies and the Axis alike. As acclaimed historian Neill Lochery reveals in The Fortunes of War, Brazil’s wily dictator Getúlio Dornelles Vargas keenly understood his country’s importance, and played both sides of the escalating global conflict off against each other, gaining trade concessions, weapons shipments, and immense political power in the process. Vargas ultimately sided with the Allies and sent troops to the European theater, but not before his dexterous geopolitical machinations had transformed Rio de Janeiro into one of South America’s most powerful cities and solidified Brazil’s place as a major regional superpower.A fast-paced tale of diplomatic intrigue, The Fortunes of War reveals how World War II transformed Brazil from a tropical backwater into a modern, global power.
Brazil: Reversal of Fortune
by Alfred P. MonteroOnce deemed a “dysfunctional” democracy with a “feckless” set of political institutions and a “drunk” economy, today’s Brazil has undergone a complete reversal of fortune. Now in its third decade of democracy, the economy is blossoming and large-scale development projects are underway, including the exploitation of massive, off-shore oil reserves, a nationwide effort to modernize infrastructure, and preparations for the hosting of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Inequality and poverty are reducing and even Brazil’s political institutions are more governable and are producing a higher-quality democracy than most observers once thought possible. Alfred P. Montero’s timely and wide-ranging book explores Brazil’s amazing “turnaround” - from improvements to the working of its political institutions and judiciary, to the renewal of economic growth, the advent of innovative social policy, and the emergence of a new foreign policy agenda. Unpacking both overly optimistic as well as pessimistic views of Brazilian politics and development, Montero offers illuminating insights into the country’s transformation and its increasing significance on the international stage.
Brazil: Reversal of Fortune
by Alfred P. MonteroOnce deemed a “dysfunctional” democracy with a “feckless” set of political institutions and a “drunk” economy, today’s Brazil has undergone a complete reversal of fortune. Now in its third decade of democracy, the economy is blossoming and large-scale development projects are underway, including the exploitation of massive, off-shore oil reserves, a nationwide effort to modernize infrastructure, and preparations for the hosting of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Inequality and poverty are reducing and even Brazil’s political institutions are more governable and are producing a higher-quality democracy than most observers once thought possible. Alfred P. Montero’s timely and wide-ranging book explores Brazil’s amazing “turnaround” - from improvements to the working of its political institutions and judiciary, to the renewal of economic growth, the advent of innovative social policy, and the emergence of a new foreign policy agenda. Unpacking both overly optimistic as well as pessimistic views of Brazilian politics and development, Montero offers illuminating insights into the country’s transformation and its increasing significance on the international stage.
Brazil: What Everyone Needs to Know® (What Everyone Needs To Know®)
by Riordan RoettBrazil is one of the most important but puzzling countries in the world. A nation of 200 million people, it has vast natural resource reserves, rich cultural traditions, a middle class undergoing explosive growth, and social welfare policies that are models for much of the world ('la bolsa familia,' which provides a guaranteed income to poor families). And, after decades of authoritarian rule, it is a stable democracy. Yet it is beset by problems that no other advanced economy suffers from: staggeringly high crime rates, sky-high inequality levels, and endemic political corruption. Emblematic of these two sides of Brazil is the selection of Rio as site of both the next Summer Olympics and the next World Cup. While the choice of Rio for these events points to Brazil's expanding presence on the world stage, so far the construction and planning for the events have been disastrous, threatening to deeply embarrass the nation. In Brazil: What Everyone Needs to Know®, Riordan Roett, an eminent scholar of Brazil and Latin America, will provide a rich overview of Brazil, covering Brazilian society, politics, culture, and the economy. The book begins with a series of chapters on Brazilian history, beginning with the pre-colonial period and moving on, in succession, to the long era of Portuguese rule, the birth of independent Brazil, the emergence of modern Brazil in the 1930s, the era of the dictators, and - finally - to the democratic regime that came into being in the 1980s. Throughout the book, Roett will focus sharply on the fault lines -- racial, economic, political, and cultural - that have plagued Brazil from its beginnings to this day. As the 2016 World Cup and Summer Olympics approach, interest in Brazil is sure to rise. Roett's synthesis will provide interested readers with an accessible, authoritative overview of this troubled yet fascinating giant.
Brazil: Politics in a Patrimonial Society
by Riordan RoettBrazil, occupying nearly 50 percent of the South American continent, has the largest economy and is a major political power in Latin America. In this updated and expanded fifth edition of his text, Roett provides a thorough introduction to the dynamics shaping Brazilian politics, economics, and society, the difficult transition from military to civilian government in the 1980s, and the social issues facing Brazilian leaders as the country enters the 21st century.As Roett makes clear, despite years of economic growth and industrialization, by the late 1990s, Brazil still faces continued and growing challenges to its social cohesiveness and stability. Without greater attention to the basic needs of the Brazilian poor, the fabric of democracy in the New Republic faces formidable challenges. A thorough and engaging resource for all students and scholars of contemporary Latin America and, more specifically, Brazil.
Brazil: Neoliberalism versus Democracy
by Alfredo Saad-Filho Lecio MoraisBrazil is the world's sixth largest economy, has played a key role as one of the 'pink wave' administrations in Latin America, and was also responsible for wrecking the US-sponsored proposal for a Free Trade Area of the Americas. It is also one of the few large countries where social spending has risen and the distribution of income has improved in the last thirty years. *BR**BR*However, as protests during the World Cup in 2014 have shown, the country remains highly unequal, unmet social needs are vast and its infrastructure is precarious.*BR**BR*Alfredo Saad-Filho and Lecio Morais review the paradox that is modern-day Brazil. Focusing on the period from 1980 onwards, they analyse the tensions between the two systemic transitions to have dominated the country: the political transition from military rule to democracy, and to neoliberalism. The authors show how these transitions had contradictory logics and dynamics, yet ultimately became mutually supportive as they unfolded and intertwined.
Brazil: Neoliberalism versus Democracy
by Alfredo Saad-Filho Lecio MoraisBrazil is the world's sixth largest economy, has played a key role as one of the 'pink wave' administrations in Latin America, and was also responsible for wrecking the US-sponsored proposal for a Free Trade Area of the Americas. It is also one of the few large countries where social spending has risen and the distribution of income has improved in the last thirty years. *BR**BR*However, as protests during the World Cup in 2014 have shown, the country remains highly unequal, unmet social needs are vast and its infrastructure is precarious.*BR**BR*Alfredo Saad-Filho and Lecio Morais review the paradox that is modern-day Brazil. Focusing on the period from 1980 onwards, they analyse the tensions between the two systemic transitions to have dominated the country: the political transition from military rule to democracy, and to neoliberalism. The authors show how these transitions had contradictory logics and dynamics, yet ultimately became mutually supportive as they unfolded and intertwined.
Brazil: Culture And Politics In A New Industrial Powerhouse
by Ronald M. SchneiderMyths and misconceptions about Brazil, the world's fifth largest and most populous country, are long-standing. Far from a sleeping giant, Brazil is the southern hemisphere's most important country. Entering its second decade of civilian constitutional government after a protracted period of military rule, it has also recently achieved sustained economic growth. Nevertheless, the nation's population of 157 million is divided by huge inequities in income and education, which are largely correlated with race, and crime rates have spiraled as a result of conflicts over land and resources.Ronald Schneider, a close observer of Brazilian society and politics for many decades, provides a comprehensive multidimensional portrait of this, Latin America's most complex country. He begins with an insightful description of its diverse regions and, then analyzes the historical processes of Brazil's development from the European encounter in 1500 to independence in 1822, the middle-class revolution in 1930, the military takeover in 1964, and the return to democracy after 1984. Schneider goes on to offer a detailed treatment of contemporary government and politics, including the 1994 elections. His closing chapters explore Brazil's rich cultural heritage and assess Brazil's place in the international arena.
Brazil: Culture And Politics In A New Industrial Powerhouse (Nations Of The Modern World: Latin America Ser.)
by Ronald M. SchneiderMyths and misconceptions about Brazil, the world's fifth largest and most populous country, are long-standing. Far from a sleeping giant, Brazil is the southern hemisphere's most important country. Entering its second decade of civilian constitutional government after a protracted period of military rule, it has also recently achieved sustained economic growth. Nevertheless, the nation's population of 157 million is divided by huge inequities in income and education, which are largely correlated with race, and crime rates have spiraled as a result of conflicts over land and resources.Ronald Schneider, a close observer of Brazilian society and politics for many decades, provides a comprehensive multidimensional portrait of this, Latin America's most complex country. He begins with an insightful description of its diverse regions and, then analyzes the historical processes of Brazil's development from the European encounter in 1500 to independence in 1822, the middle-class revolution in 1930, the military takeover in 1964, and the return to democracy after 1984. Schneider goes on to offer a detailed treatment of contemporary government and politics, including the 1994 elections. His closing chapters explore Brazil's rich cultural heritage and assess Brazil's place in the international arena.
Brazil: A Biography
by Heloisa Maria Starling Lilia Moritz Schwarcz<p>Since Europeans first reached Brazil in 1500 it has been an unfailing source of extraordinary fascination. More than any other part of the 'New World' it displayed both the greatest beauty and grandeur and witnessed scenes of the most terrible European ferocity. <p><i>Brazil: A Biography</i>, written by two of Brazil's leading historians and a bestseller in Brazil itself, is a remarkable attempt to convey the overwhelming diversity and challenges of this huge country from its origins to the 21st century - larger than the contiguous USA and still in some regions not fully mapped. The book's major themes are the near-continuous battles to create both political institutions and social frameworks that would allow stable growth, legal norms and protection for all its citizens. <p>Brazil's failure to achieve these except in the very short term has been tragic, but even now it remains one of the world's great experiments - creative, harsh, unique and as compelling a story for its inhabitants as for outsiders.</p>
Brazil-Africa Relations in the 21st Century: From Surge to Downturn and Beyond
by Mathias Alencastro Pedro SeabraThis is the first book to analyse the full cycle of rise and fall of Brazil's foreign policy towards Africa in the beginning of the 21st century. During his government, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2010) made the drive towards Africa one of the cornerstones of Brazilian diplomacy and cooperation. In a bid to build strategic trading partnerships with African counterparts, Lula’s government committed itself to an ambitious program centred on provisions in loans and credits as well as the exponential growth of its South-South cooperation. After Lula, however, this drive towards Africa started to decline and finally collapsed in face of political meltdown in Brazil and the proliferation of controversial judicial investigations that directly involved political leaders at the centre of most initiatives undertook in the 2000s. The rise and fall of Brazil-Africa relations has provoked much discussion in policy-making, as well as scholarly research. This book seeks to provide valuable resources to the study of this process by presenting empirically based and updated analysis from different perspectives, such as: The diplomatic tradition of Brazil-Africa relationsThe role played by Brazilian big private companies in AfricaBrazilian health cooperation with African countriesThe participation of civil society in Brazil-Africa relationsBrazil-Africa trade relationsMilitary cooperation between Brazil and Africa Brazil’s drive to Africa left a durable mark, whose implications are yet to be understood. What were its main successes and failures? And what does the dramatic change of events, with Brazil moving from a pivotal player to an almost invisible one in merely half a decade, tell us about South-South cooperation? These are some of the questions that Brazil-Africa Relations in the 21st Century – From Surge to Downturn and Beyond intends to answer in order to provide a useful resource for Political Science and International Relations scholars interested in the study of South-South relations, as well as for policy makers interested in understanding the changing dynamics of International Relations in the wake of the 21st century.
Brazil after Bolsonaro: The Comeback of Lula da Silva
by Richard BourneBrazil after Bolsonaro captures and presents the voices of a wide range of stakeholders including academics and journalists in Brazil and abroad to produce the first systematic engagement with Lula’s latest presidency. Providing fair and balanced perspectives on Lula, the authors examine the legacy of Lula’s previous presidency; what happened in the interim in the eras of Rousseff, Temer, and Bolsonaro; and what are the challenges facing a new Lula administration. This book is divided into three main sections (Background to change, Context and issues, and Foreign policy) and chapters detail the political, social, and economic dimensions of change in Brazil and its wider repercussions. A fourth section sees Luís Guillermo Solís Rivera, President of Costa Rica from 2014 to 2018, offer reflections on Lula from the perspective of a fellow president. Assuming no prior knowledge and written in an accessible style, this book is ideal for those seeking to further their understanding of contemporary politics in Brazil and to learn the context and consequences of the transfer of power from Jair Bolsonaro to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Brazil after Bolsonaro: The Comeback of Lula da Silva
Brazil after Bolsonaro captures and presents the voices of a wide range of stakeholders including academics and journalists in Brazil and abroad to produce the first systematic engagement with Lula’s latest presidency. Providing fair and balanced perspectives on Lula, the authors examine the legacy of Lula’s previous presidency; what happened in the interim in the eras of Rousseff, Temer, and Bolsonaro; and what are the challenges facing a new Lula administration. This book is divided into three main sections (Background to change, Context and issues, and Foreign policy) and chapters detail the political, social, and economic dimensions of change in Brazil and its wider repercussions. A fourth section sees Luís Guillermo Solís Rivera, President of Costa Rica from 2014 to 2018, offer reflections on Lula from the perspective of a fellow president. Assuming no prior knowledge and written in an accessible style, this book is ideal for those seeking to further their understanding of contemporary politics in Brazil and to learn the context and consequences of the transfer of power from Jair Bolsonaro to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Brazil and Climate Change: Beyond the Amazon
by Viola Eduardo Matías FranchiniClimate change is increasingly a part of the human experience. As the problem worsens, the cooperative dilemma that the issue carries has become evident: climate change is a complex problem that systematically gets insufficient answers from the international system. This book offers an assessment of Brazil’s role in the global political economy of climate change. The authors, Eduardo Viola and Matías Franchini expertly review and answer the most common and widely cited questions on whether and in which way Brazil is aggravating or mitigating the climate crisis, including: Is it the benign, cooperative, environmental power that the Brazilian government claims it is? Why was it possible to dramatically reduce deforestation in the Amazon (2005-2010) and, more recently, was there a partial reversion? The book provides an accessible—and much needed—introduction to all those studying the challenges of the international system in the Anthropocene. Through a thorough analysis of Brazil in perspective vis a vis other emerging countries, this book provides an engaging introduction and up to date assessment of the climate reality of Brazil and a framework to analyze the climate performance of major economies, both on emission trajectory and policy profile: the climate commitment approach. Brazil and Climate Change is essential reading for all students of Environmental Studies, Latin American Studies, International Relations and Comparative Politics.
Brazil and the United States during World War II and Its Aftermath: Negotiating Alliance and Balancing Giants
by Frank D. McCannThe military alliance between the United States and Brazil played a critical role in the outcome of World War II, and yet it is largely overlooked in historiography of the war. In this definitive account, Frank McCann investigates Brazilian-American military relations from the 1930s through the years after the alliance ended in 1977. The two countries emerge as imbalanced giants with often divergent objectives and expectations. They nevertheless managed to form the Brazilian Expeditionary Force and a fighter squadron that fought in Italy under American command, making Brazil the only Latin American country to commit troops to the war. With the establishment of the US Air Force base in Natal, Northeast Brazil become a vital staging area for air traffic supplying Allied forces in the Middle East and Asian theaters. McCann deftly analyzes newly opened Brazilian archives and declassified American intelligence files to offer a more nuanced account of how this alliance changed the course of World War II, and how the relationship deteriorated in the aftermath of the war.
Brazil as a Rising Power: Intervention Norms and the Contestation of Global Order (Global Institutions)
by Philip Cunliffe Kai Michael KenkelThis book examines the normative tensions inherent in upward mobility within the international system, focusing particularly on the clash between sovereign self-interest and the putatively universal norms associated with international interventions. It provides extensive detail and deep analysis of Brazil’s nature as a rising power, and that nature’s implications for how the country crafts its international profile on issues such as intervention. In addition, the book proposes innovative ways of (re)organising thematic, conceptual and empirical research on the normative behaviour of emergent powers with regard to institutions of global governance and questions of intervention. In analysing what distinguishes Brazil as a rising power, the contributors begin from the assumption that participation in intervention is an increasingly crucial element in demonstrating the capacity and responsibility for which demand accrues as a state seeks increased international profile. As such, the debates around intervention serve as an indicative locus for examining the clash of norms that accompanies emergence as a global player. The book’s approach is to organise the analysis around thematic rather than chronological or praxis-based lines, using the Brazilian case as an illustrative example capable of extrapolation to other emerging powers such as Turkey, India and others. This work draws together rich empirical detail with sophisticated and varied conceptual analysis and will be of interest to scholars of international relations, Latin-American politics and global governance.
Brazil as a Rising Power: Intervention Norms and the Contestation of Global Order (Global Institutions)
by Kai Michael Kenkel Philip CunliffeThis book examines the normative tensions inherent in upward mobility within the international system, focusing particularly on the clash between sovereign self-interest and the putatively universal norms associated with international interventions. It provides extensive detail and deep analysis of Brazil’s nature as a rising power, and that nature’s implications for how the country crafts its international profile on issues such as intervention. In addition, the book proposes innovative ways of (re)organising thematic, conceptual and empirical research on the normative behaviour of emergent powers with regard to institutions of global governance and questions of intervention. In analysing what distinguishes Brazil as a rising power, the contributors begin from the assumption that participation in intervention is an increasingly crucial element in demonstrating the capacity and responsibility for which demand accrues as a state seeks increased international profile. As such, the debates around intervention serve as an indicative locus for examining the clash of norms that accompanies emergence as a global player. The book’s approach is to organise the analysis around thematic rather than chronological or praxis-based lines, using the Brazilian case as an illustrative example capable of extrapolation to other emerging powers such as Turkey, India and others. This work draws together rich empirical detail with sophisticated and varied conceptual analysis and will be of interest to scholars of international relations, Latin-American politics and global governance.
Brazil As A Rising Power: Intervention Norms And The Contestation Of Global Order (Global Institutions Ser. (PDF))
by Philip Cunliffe Kai Michael KenkelThis book examines the normative tensions inherent in upward mobility within the international system, focusing particularly on the clash between sovereign self-interest and the putatively universal norms associated with international interventions. It provides extensive detail and deep analysis of Brazil’s nature as a rising power, and that nature’s implications for how the country crafts its international profile on issues such as intervention. In addition, the book proposes innovative ways of (re)organising thematic, conceptual and empirical research on the normative behaviour of emergent powers with regard to institutions of global governance and questions of intervention. In analysing what distinguishes Brazil as a rising power, the contributors begin from the assumption that participation in intervention is an increasingly crucial element in demonstrating the capacity and responsibility for which demand accrues as a state seeks increased international profile. As such, the debates around intervention serve as an indicative locus for examining the clash of norms that accompanies emergence as a global player. The book’s approach is to organise the analysis around thematic rather than chronological or praxis-based lines, using the Brazilian case as an illustrative example capable of extrapolation to other emerging powers such as Turkey, India and others. This work draws together rich empirical detail with sophisticated and varied conceptual analysis and will be of interest to scholars of international relations, Latin-American politics and global governance.
Brazil As A Rising Power: Intervention Norms And The Contestation Of Global Order (Global Institutions Ser. (PDF))
by Philip Cunliffe Kai Michael KenkelThis book examines the normative tensions inherent in upward mobility within the international system, focusing particularly on the clash between sovereign self-interest and the putatively universal norms associated with international interventions. It provides extensive detail and deep analysis of Brazil’s nature as a rising power, and that nature’s implications for how the country crafts its international profile on issues such as intervention. In addition, the book proposes innovative ways of (re)organising thematic, conceptual and empirical research on the normative behaviour of emergent powers with regard to institutions of global governance and questions of intervention. In analysing what distinguishes Brazil as a rising power, the contributors begin from the assumption that participation in intervention is an increasingly crucial element in demonstrating the capacity and responsibility for which demand accrues as a state seeks increased international profile. As such, the debates around intervention serve as an indicative locus for examining the clash of norms that accompanies emergence as a global player. The book’s approach is to organise the analysis around thematic rather than chronological or praxis-based lines, using the Brazilian case as an illustrative example capable of extrapolation to other emerging powers such as Turkey, India and others. This work draws together rich empirical detail with sophisticated and varied conceptual analysis and will be of interest to scholars of international relations, Latin-American politics and global governance.
Brazil In The International System: The Rise Of A Middle Power
by Wayne A. SelcherIn recent years, Brazil has grown greatly in international status, and all indications are that it will continue to do so. The authors of this book evaluate Brazil from a "Brazil in the world" viewpoint, placing the country in the current international system in relation to its capabilities, effects, and interest positions. On the basis of their co
Brazil In The International System: The Rise Of A Middle Power
by Wayne A. SelcherIn recent years, Brazil has grown greatly in international status, and all indications are that it will continue to do so. The authors of this book evaluate Brazil from a "Brazil in the world" viewpoint, placing the country in the current international system in relation to its capabilities, effects, and interest positions. On the basis of their co
Brazil in the Anthropocene: Conflicts between predatory development and environmental policies (Routledge Environmental Humanities)
by Liz-Rejane Issberner Philippe LénaBrazil is considered one of the world’s most important environmental powers. With a continental territory containing almost 70 per cent of the Amazon rainforest, along with a rich biodiversity and huge amount of natural resources, its geopolitical role in environmental decisions is crucial to ongoing global negotiations surrounding climate change. Development policies based on extraction and exportation of raw materials by the mining and agribusiness sectors threaten the global environmental balance and the long-term sustainability of Brazil’s economy. Brazil in the Anthropocene examines Brazil's role within the global ecological crisis and considers how national and international policy is influenced by the interdependence of social, political, ethical, scientific and economic factors in the modern age. With chapters from a diverse range of international scholars this interdisciplinary volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental politics, environmental sociology and the environmental humanities.
Brazil in the Anthropocene: Conflicts between predatory development and environmental policies (Routledge Environmental Humanities)
by Liz-Rejane Issberner Philippe LénaBrazil is considered one of the world’s most important environmental powers. With a continental territory containing almost 70 per cent of the Amazon rainforest, along with a rich biodiversity and huge amount of natural resources, its geopolitical role in environmental decisions is crucial to ongoing global negotiations surrounding climate change. Development policies based on extraction and exportation of raw materials by the mining and agribusiness sectors threaten the global environmental balance and the long-term sustainability of Brazil’s economy. Brazil in the Anthropocene examines Brazil's role within the global ecological crisis and considers how national and international policy is influenced by the interdependence of social, political, ethical, scientific and economic factors in the modern age. With chapters from a diverse range of international scholars this interdisciplinary volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental politics, environmental sociology and the environmental humanities.
Brazil in the Global Nuclear Order, 1945–2018 (Johns Hopkins Nuclear History and Contemporary Affairs)
by Carlo PattiThe first comprehensive and definitive history of Brazil's decision to give up the nuclear weapon option.Why do countries capable of "going nuclear" choose not to? Brazil, which gained notoriety for developing a nuclear program and then backtracking into adherence to the nonproliferation regime, offers a fascinating window into the complex politics surrounding nuclear energy and American interference. Since the beginning of the nuclear age, author Carlo Patti writes, Brazil has tried to cooperate with other countries in order to master nuclear fuel cycle technology, but international limitations have constrained the country's approach. Brazil had the start of a nuclear program in the 1950s, which led to the United States interfering in agreements between Brazil and other countries with advanced nuclear industries, such as France and West Germany. These international constraints, especially those imposed by the United States, partly explain the country's decision to create a secret nuclear program in 1978 and to cooperate with other countries outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT] regime, such as Argentina and China. Yet, in 1998, Brazil chose to adhere to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty it so actively opposed only three decades prior, although the country still critiques the unfair nature of the treaty. Patti draws on recent declassified primary sources collected during years of research in public and private archives in eight different countries, as well as interviews with former presidents, diplomats, and scientists, to show how US nonproliferation policies deeply affected Brazil's decisions. Assessing the domestic and international factors that informed the evolution of Brazil's nuclear diplomacy, Brazil in the Global Nuclear Order, 1945-2018 also discusses what it means with respect to Brazil's future political goals.