Brazil’s Triple Memory of Power

Third World, Global South, and West as Diplomatic Traditions

Abstract

This essay examines how Brazil’s foreign policy operationalizes a triple memory of power and legitimacy, those of the Third World, the Global South, and the West, to navigate an increasingly fragmented international order. Rather than static labels, these traditions function as practical repositories of historical experience and policy instruments. Each offers Brazil a distinct diplomatic toolkit: the Third World frames demands for developmental justice; the Global South supports coalition building and reformist initiatives; and the West provides the institutional language of rules, legality, and credibility. By integrating these repertoires, Brazil converts hybridity into strategic flexibility. The essay argues that this plural identity strengthens Brazil's capacity to mediate polarized agendas and helps explain how the country navigates competing demands for order, reform, and representation in contemporary world politics.