The Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Foreign Policy and the Internationalization of Brazil

The Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) has become an important device in the pursuit of Brazil's South-South foreign policy. This project explores how the government of Brazil has used the BNDES to push major Brazilian firms to internationalize and to build bilateral relationships with countries in South America and Africa. By examining the cases of Bolivia, Paraguay, Angola and Mozambique, the project will critically examine the claims of solidarity and fraternity made by the Lula (2003-2010) and Dilma (present) presidencies, asking if the use of the BNDES to push Brazilian outward FDI and development assistance constitutes a revived or new form of neo-imperialism in the context of South-South relations.