The Brazilian Position on Western Sahara Independence: Diplomatic Coherence or Political and Commercial Interests?
The decades-long conflict opposing the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco over Western Sahara presents a dilemma for Brazilian foreign policy. On the one hand, the recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) could represent a violation of the principles of non-intervention and...
Guardado en:
| Autor principal: | |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Portugués |
| Publicado: |
Centro de Estudios Avanzados. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
2023
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/revesint/article/view/42045 |
| Aporte de: |
| Sumario: | The decades-long conflict opposing the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco over Western Sahara presents a dilemma for Brazilian foreign policy. On the one hand, the recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) could represent a violation of the principles of non-intervention and peaceful solution of conflicts, and could harm Brazilian commercial interests. On the other hand, the refusal to recognize SADR could also be interpreted as a serious failure to comply with another important principle of Brazilian international relations: the self-determination of peoples. With this dilemma in mind, this article will present the context of the conflict in Western Sahara between Morocco and the Polisario Front. Then, Brazil’s position on the issue will be analyzed. The main objective is to explain the reasons why Brazilian diplomacy has adopted such a cautious and even dubious policy on the issue. The hypothesis presented is that, although the discussion of foreign policy principles and traditions are relevant to the analysis of the Brazilian position, the country has political and commercial interests that benefit from maintaining the statu quo favorable to Morocco, thus justifying the lack of an assertive position on the issue. |
|---|