Rising powers and Antarctica: Brazil’s changing interests

Abstract

Within the context of the post-Cold War period, rising power states have developed new regional and global interests, including with respect to Antarctica. In this paper, we analyse the role of Antarctica within Brazil’s rising power strategy, defined in terms of the foreign policy, defence strategy, and science and technology goals promoted by its policy elites. Focusing on the past decade, we find that Antarctica has gained greater visibility in all three aspects of Brazil’s rising power strategy. Regionally, Antarctica has become an important element within Brazil’s new defence policy for the South Atlantic region, as well as a way for Brazil to enhance cooperation with other South American states. In terms of its global ambitions, becoming a more active player within the Antarctic Treaty System is seen as a way for Brazil to participate more directly in debates with global reach. Finally, Antarctic research is viewed as a promising component of Brazil’s efforts to boost its science and technology capacity, and therefore its socio-economic development and competitiveness. In attaining these goals, Brazil faces a number of hurdles that became more evident after a 2012 fire destroyed most of its Antarctic base, although reconstruction efforts have produced new dynamics of cooperation, domestically and internationally.