Tupi or not tupi : a short story about the brazylian identity a the international stage

Tupi or not tupi ou sobre a identidade brasileira e política externa

Cultural and social miscegenation is considered the key feature reflecting the complexity of the Brazilian identity. In its external dimension, defining the state’s sense of distinctiveness at the international stage, this richness has been expressed through numerous definitions of the state’s sense of belonging and opened up multiple options for Brazil’s foreign policy. The chapter seeks to highlight two main ways of defining the state’s international identity in the 20th and 21st century: Americanism and globalism and their impact on the state’s external activism. The first part of the article addresses the controversies around the notion of the identity of a collective entity – the national state. The second part of the paper discusses the selection of strategies aimed at the pursuit of the state’s national interest. It argues that these strategies are determined by narratives proposed by 20th-century intellectuals concerning the international position and profile of Brazil and subsequently used by the government decision-makers to justify their political choices. Finally, the article presents the redefinition of the understanding of the West by the current administration, and its impact on the reorientation of the country’s international activism since 2019.