What to expect when the presidents of Brazil and Argentina meet

Abstract

Prickly nationalism is trending in the rich world, but in South America's two biggest countries the talk is of partnering up. On February 7th Mauricio Macri, Argentina's president (shown on the left), plans to visit his Brazilian counterpart, Michel Temer. They will promise to encourage trade and to improve a relationship that is frostier than it should be. There are grounds for hope, but also for scepticism.