Council on Foreign Relations

Brazil's rebuff of U.S. efforts to toughen sanctions against Iran derives from its wariness of U.S. power politics, writes CFR Visiting Fellow Matias Spektor, but it's too soon to dismiss Brazil's role.

Interview

Julia E. Sweig states that Secretary Clinton's visit to Brazil "may reflect a political will to make the relationship with Brazil a strategic priority for American foreign policy."

Shannon O'Neil discusses the prospects for the United States' relationship with Brazil.

Eduardo Gomez writes that as President Obama pushes to pass healthcare reform in the United States, "he would do well to examine the praiseworthy successes -- and the worrying failures -- of a decades-old universal system in the region's second-largest democracy."

Walter Russell Mead argues that an increasing number of developing countries are turning into the "pacesetters of liberal global capitalism."

Some of the unreformed aspects of Brazil's economy are now helping to limit the damage from the world downturn--but its prudence in recent years is helping too.

This article in the World Politics Review evaluates Brazil's ability to surpass its disappointing economic performance during the late 20th century and fully realize its potential for rapid, stable growth.

Special Correspondent Mac Margolis examines why, as Brazil becomes Latin America's economic pacesetter, its neighboring countries are viewing it as target No. 1. With a $1.4 trillion economy and a global political agenda, Brazil stands out in a region hobbled by poverty and poor governance. Its industry eclipses that of its neighbors, assuring Brazil a fat regional trade surplus. And as Brazil's fortunes soar, it casts a harsh spotlight on the shortcomings of its neighbors. The result: increased animosity from across its borders.