Política regional e projeção de interesses privados:

problematizando a América do Sul nos governos Lula

Abstract

The article aims to discuss the role of South America in the foreign policy of the governments of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2010). Throughout the text, is developed the argument that South America was the priority space for the political articulation of the South-South foreign policy directives and the economic projection of the interests of private actors of Brazilian capitalism under a neodevelopmentism orientation, through a double presence (political and economic) of the country in the region. In this sense, the Brazilian foreign policy for South America reconciled in its strategy and action: 1) the projection of interests of certain
national private sectors; 2) the establishment of mechanisms of regional political governance and 3) the construction of a bilateral and multilateral agenda that strengthened areas and themes in line with the development model adopted by the government in the period. The discussion presented in the article aims to contribute to the analysis of the foreign policy of the Lula governments and the understanding of the role of South America in the Brazilian international strategy of the period.