The Palgrave Handbook on Geopolitics of Brazil and the South Atlantic (Handbooks in Politics and International Relations)

Positioned at the intersection of regional leadership and global influence, this reference work offers a rigorous and timely analysis of Brazil’s evolving geopolitical role—as the world’s fifth largest nation, South America’s leading power, a strategic South Atlantic actor, and a pivotal member of the expanding BRICS+ coalition. Structured into four insightful parts (1) The Making of Brazil as an International Actor, (2) Geo-Economics and Technology, (3) Classic Perspectives on Geopolitics, and (4) Contemporary Debates: Critical and Meta Geopolitics - this book brings together a rich array of topics that reflect Brazil’s multifaceted global engagement. Beyond traditional themes like Brazilian politics, economy, and foreign policy, this volume delves into pressing contemporary issues: energy geopolitics, defence, regional engagement, Amazon geopolitics, polar and outer space affairs, nuclear autonomy, marine spatial planning, naval projects, food security, lithium, Artificial Intelligence, and submarine cables. The book also explores Brazil’s strategic relationships with China, the United States, and the European Union, while offering fresh perspectives on its ties with African nations (e.g., Angola, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Nigeria, South Africa), Russia, and India. Broader global themes such as ZOPACAS, CPLP, BRICS+ cooperation, and UN Security Council reform are also critically assessed.

Francisco José B. S. Leandro earned his doctorate in Political Science and International Relations from the Catholic University of Portugal in 2010. He currently serves as Associate Professor with Habilitation in International Relations at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, and holds the position of Deputy Director at the Institute for Global and Public Affairs. He is affiliated with CEI-ISCTE-IUL and OBSERVARE—an academic centre for the study of International Relations founded in 1996 at the Autonomous University of Lisbon, Portugal—where he contributes to research on foreign relations and global governance.

Rodrigo Franklin Frogeri holds a doctorate in Information Systems and Knowledge Management, a master’s degree in Administration, and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He is currently a tenured Professor in the Graduate Program in Management and Regional Development at the University Center of Southern Minas (UNIS-MG, Varginha, Brazil), and also serves as a faculty member in the Master’s in Data Science programme at Universidad Científica del Sur (Lima, Peru). Since early 2024, he has held the position of Editor-in-Chief of Mythos (ISSN: 1984-0098), a peer reviewed academic journal dedicated to interdisciplinary research.

Yichao Li earned her Ph.D. from the Institute for Research on Portuguese-speaking Countries at the City University of Macau (China) in 2021, following a master’s degree in Comparative Civil Law (Chinese) from the University of Macau in 2018. From 2021 to 2022, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for International Studies, ISCTE-IUL, in Lisbon, Portugal. Since 2023, she has served as an Assistant Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, China. She is also a member of OBSERVARE, a research centre on International Relations at the Autonomous University of Lisbon, established in 1996.

Francisco Proença Garcia is Full Professor and Associate Dean at the Institute for Political Studies, Portuguese Catholic University. His distinguished career includes serving as Portugal’s national representative to NATO’s Science and Technology Organization (2014–2016), Head of Postgraduate Studies at the Military Academy (2014), and Advisor to the Chief of the Army Staff (2011–2014). He was also Military Advisor to the Portuguese Delegation to NATO and the European Defence Agency (2008–2011), and President of the Scientific Council at the Higher Institute of Business Communication (2013). He is an Academic of the International Academy of Portuguese Culture, International Correspondent of the Institute of Geography and Military History of Brazil, and Director of the Lisbon Geographical Society.

Antonio Ruy de Almeida Silva is a Retired Admiral of the Brazilian Navy and holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. He currently serves as a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Advanced Strategic Studies at Fluminense Federal University (NEA/UFF), and as a Professor in the Postgraduate Program in International Security and Defense at the Brazilian War College. Additionally, he acts as an Advisor at the Centre for Political-Strategic Studies of the Brazilian Navy. He is a former Director of the Brazilian Navy War College and has published extensively on international security, defence diplomacy, and South Atlantic affairs.