Paper short abstract:

Lula's Brazilian diplomacy privileged Africa. A strategic vision is the basis of the south-south cooperation. But there also elements of prestige diplomacy or business diplomacy? From 2011 onwards Dilma Rousseff follow the same pattern.

Paper long abstract:

From the start of the Lula Government in 2003, Brazilian diplomacy gave a privileged place to Africa and relations became intense. A strategic vision and a coherent perspective were the new basis of the Brazil-Africa relations, which became the principal focus of the so-called south-south cooperation.

Bilateral and multilateral relations were developed in a remarkable way in the areas of trade, investments, oil, mining, infrastructure, health, science and technology, diplomacy and security. Meanwhile, in Brazil, the rights of the population of African descent are being redeemed and, at the same time, it is possible to observe the growing presence of Pentecostal (evangelical) churches and of Brazilian television in Africa, as well as the expansion of the drugs trade and of new African migration towards Brazil.

For many, the relations with Africa prove the solidarity dimension of the social programme of President Lula, while others consider these only as prestige diplomacy, a waste of time and money. Finally, some just regard these relations as business diplomacy, a "soft imperialism", which is only different from the Chinese presence in Africa by its form and intensity. From 2011 onwards, Dilma Rousseff, Lula's sucessor, follow the same pattern of African policy.