Between the systemic crisis and the absence of a national project: Brazil, Africa and the limits of Brazilian action in the South Atlantic

Abstract

The South Atlantic constitutes a geopolitical space that has historically structured interactions between Brazil and Atlantic Africa, linking development agendas, maritime security, and international insertion strategies. In the context of crisis and transition in the international order, the presence of extra-regional powers has intensified, particularly along the African coast, expanding competition over strategic routes and resources. The article argues that although Brazil recognizes the strategic centrality of the South Atlantic and its relations with African countries, its actions have been marked by oscillations resulting from the absence of a long-term national project. This limitation constrains Brazil’s ability to build a sustained political, economic, and security cooperation with African states in the region.