Brazilian presence in the Indian Ocean: fostering a wider Meridionalist sovereignty.
Jorge MORTEAN, University of São Paulo - SP, Brazil
André Roberto MARTIN, University of São Paulo - SP, Brazil
The Meridionalist theory of Brazilian geographer and professor André Roberto Martin is not just a projection imagined of geopolitical power, but an explanatory model of the limits and possibilities unveiled by Brazil and countries of the Southern Hemisphere in the international system. Meridionalism represents the third geopolitical contemporary theory by simultaneously denying the Atlantic theory and Eurasian theory. Geographically, the Southern Hemisphere represents the shortening of distances and, consequently, lower transport costs between countries located in this zone. Politically, Meridionalism expresses the will to achieve the standards of technological and social development in the North, which can be fulfilled through South-South cooperation and technologies adapted to its physical needs (tropical and maritime environments) and social scenarios (lower purchasing power), overcoming its technological dependence.
This research aims to clarify how Brazil can be a catalytic actor for the formulation of a new Southern policy up from the Indian Ocean, by strengthening of its relations with the Republic of Mauritius. As for the increasing Eurasian importance, mainly due to Indian Ocean role as its pathway, and also remembering geopolitical considerations on Brazilian oceanic projections of the late Brazilian geographer Therezinha de Castro, this research will seek to identify and analyze all geopolitical factors that can lead Mauritian-Brazilian relations to their maximum narrowing and power among this scenario. It intends, therefore, to investigate mainly geographic and political-diplomatic aspects of the Republic of Mauritius, favored above all by its position and regional performance in the Indian Ocean, which could make this new level of bilateral relations serve as a launchpad to amplify Brazilian diplomacy throughout the Indo-Pacific region, thus consolidating an up-to-date Southern agenda at the 21st century.
Mots clés : Brazil|Indian Ocean|Meridionalism|Geopolitics|South-South Cooperation
A103468JM