¿Soft power o hard power? Reflexiones teóricas sobre la política exterior brasileña

Abstract

Based on a neo-realist analysis and in opposition to soft power approaches, this article studies Brazilian foreign policy with respect to possible regional hegemonic designs. The research examines crucial advances in the military power of the South American state, but also takes into account Brazil's demographic and economic capacity and its ability to develop nuclear weapons, as conditioning elements for balancing power on the global stage. The analysis is contextualized in the international systemic structure, where the United States, as the great power, must prevent other states from acquiring power.