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118-693: The idea of an Inter-American Conference held in Washington, D.C., was the brainchild of United States Secretary of State James G. Blaine , but it took almost a decade and several reversals of U.S. policy to convert his original vision of 1881 into the Washington Conference of 1889–1890. Blaine was the Secretary of State in the short-lived Republican administration of Benjamin Harrison (4 March 1889 to 1893). Apparently inspired by

236-613: A Portuguese colony until 1808, when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro . In 1815, the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves . Independence was achieved in 1822 with the creation of the Empire of Brazil , a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system . The ratification of

354-617: A colony . In 1815, to justify continuing to live in Brazil, where the royal court had thrived for six years, the Crown established the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves , thus creating a pluricontinental transatlantic monarchic state. However, the leadership in Portugal, resentful of the new status of its larger colony, continued to demand the return of the court to Lisbon (see Liberal Revolution of 1820 ). In 1821, acceding to

472-489: A democratic federal republic . Due to its rich culture and history, the country ranks thirteenth in the world by number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites . Brazil is a regional and middle power that is an emerging power and a major non-NATO ally of the United States . Categorized as a developing country , Brazil is considered an advanced emerging economy , having the one of the-largest GDP in

590-697: A century of mass immigration from around the world . Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi). Covering roughly half of South America's land area, it borders all other countries and territories on the continent except Ecuador and Chile . Brazil's Amazon basin includes a vast tropical forest home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage positions Brazil at number one of 17 megadiverse countries . The country's natural richness

708-872: A charismatic figure who could represent a moderate face of power, during this period a series of localized rebellions took place, such as the Cabanagem in Grão-Pará , the Malê Revolt in Salvador, the Balaiada ( Maranhão ), the Sabinada ( Bahia ), and the Ragamuffin War , which began in Rio Grande do Sul and was supported by Giuseppe Garibaldi . These emerged from the provinces' dissatisfaction with

826-431: A colony. The Brazilians refused to yield, and Prince Pedro decided to stand with them, declaring the country's independence from Portugal on 7 September 1822. A month later, Prince Pedro was declared the first Emperor of Brazil , with the royal title of Dom Pedro I , resulting in the founding of the Empire of Brazil . The Brazilian War of Independence , which had already begun along this process, spread through

944-415: A delegate. Martí notes that "Blaine's congress has been inaugurated with a storm. In energetic Spanish Chile protested, through the words of Minister Varas , against the attempt to place Blaine in the presidency of a congress of which he is not a member". He underscored the seriousness of the challenge, noting that some reports were circulating that Argentina and Chile, and perhaps others, would stay away from

1062-837: A dense and complex system of rivers, one of the world's most extensive, with eight major drainage basins, all of which drain into the Atlantic. Major rivers include the Amazon (the world's second-longest river and the largest in terms of volume of water), the Paraná and its major tributary the Iguaçu (which includes the Iguazu Falls ), the Negro , São Francisco , Xingu , Madeira and Tapajós rivers. The wildlife of Brazil comprises all naturally occurring animals , plants , and fungi in

1180-504: A full dictatorship with the promulgation of the Fifth Institutional Act in 1968. Oppression was not limited to those who resorted to guerrilla tactics to fight the regime, but also reached institutional opponents, artists, journalists and other members of civil society, inside and outside the country through the infamous " Operation Condor ". Like other brutal authoritarian regimes , due to an economic boom, known as

1298-577: A half-century before ( Mexican–American War , 1846–48), and more dramatically by Chilean conquests in the War of the Pacific (1879–81). Peru and Bolivia , supported by Argentina , wanted a strong condemnation of any right by virtue of military conquest, but there was a real threat that the Chilean delegation would withdraw if they felt they were being attacked. Martí records the drama of the long debate, with

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1416-427: A higher altitude. In the interior northeast, seasonal rainfall is even more extreme. South of Bahia, near the coasts, and more southerly most of the state of São Paulo, the distribution of rainfall changes, with rain falling throughout the year. The south enjoys subtropical conditions, with cool winters and average annual temperatures not exceeding 18 °C (64.4 °F); winter frosts and snowfall are not rare in

1534-523: A military one , did civilians take power, remaining there until October 1930. In relation to its foreign policy, the country in this first republican period maintained a relative balance characterized by a success in resolving border disputes with neighboring countries, only broken by the Acre War (1899–1902) and its involvement in World War I (1914–1918), followed by a failed attempt to exert

1652-420: A number of oceanic archipelagos , such as Fernando de Noronha , Rocas Atoll , Saint Peter and Paul Rocks , and Trindade and Martim Vaz . Its size, relief, climate, and natural resources make Brazil geographically diverse. Including its Atlantic islands, Brazil lies between latitudes 6°N and 34°S , and longitudes 28° and 74°W . Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, and third largest in

1770-410: A political crisis, after having returned to power by election in 1950. Several brief interim governments followed Vargas's suicide. Juscelino Kubitschek became president in 1956 and assumed a conciliatory posture towards the political opposition that allowed him to govern without major crises. The economy and industrial sector grew remarkably, but his greatest achievement was the construction of

1888-530: A prominent role in the League of Nations ; Internally, from the crisis of Encilhamento and the Navy Revolts , a prolonged cycle of financial, political and social instability began until the 1920s, keeping the country besieged by various rebellions, both civilian and military. Little by little, a cycle of general instability sparked by these crises undermined the regime to such an extent that in

2006-432: A white-bearded delegate who carries within him the power and refinement of his nation, ripped apart the weak attempts by the famous secretary of state to impose permanent arbitration and covert domination. In its stead he proposed an exemplary draft of possible and fair arbitration, written by Argentine hands; a fortunate accord coming from Spanish America which would not endanger either our independence or decorum..."). This

2124-521: Is a folk etymology for a word for the plant related to an Arabic or Asian word for a red plant. As brazilwood produces a deep red dye, it was highly valued by the European textile industry and was the earliest commercially exploited product from Brazil. Throughout the 16th century, massive amounts of brazilwood were harvested by indigenous peoples (mostly Tupi ) along the Brazilian coast, who sold

2242-490: Is also the subject of significant global interest, as environmental degradation (through processes such as deforestation ) has direct impacts on global issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss . The territory of present-day Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing of explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500. Subsequently claimed by the Portuguese Empire , Brazil remained

2360-559: Is an aspect that the other countries soon realized, and through the conferences, attempted to prevent this from occurring. However, when President Garfield was assassinated , Blaine was removed from his post and the process for creating the Pan-American Conference was slowed down. Eventually, through the lobbying of Congress, Blaine was able to schedule the first Pan-American Conference in January 1889. First used in

2478-487: Is no real dry season , but there are some variations in the period of the year when most rain falls. Temperatures average 25 °C (77 °F), with more significant temperature variation between night and day than between seasons. Over central Brazil, rainfall is more seasonal, characteristic of a savanna climate. This region is as extensive as the Amazon basin but has a very different climate as it lies farther south at

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2596-562: Is said that Quintana (the Argentine delegate) told Blaine in a private conversation". Two issues closely related to the arbitration question were the sovereign equality of states and the assertion that military conquest should generate no territorial rights for the victory. Martí noted that the conference provided a forum for the Latin nations to lay out for the first time their position, later painstakingly affirmed in innumerable instruments of

2714-474: Is the world's fifth-largest country by area and one of the most populated countries . Its capital is Brasília , and its most populous city is São Paulo . Brazil is a federation composed of 26 states and a Federal District . It is the only country in the Americas where Portuguese is an official language . Brazil is among the world's most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations, due to over

2832-530: The Arab League . The word Brazil probably comes from the Portuguese word for brazilwood , a tree that once grew plentifully along the Brazilian coast. In Portuguese, brazilwood is called pau-brasil , with the word brasil commonly given the etymology "red like an ember ", formed from brasa ('ember') and the suffix -il (from -iculum or -ilium ). It has alternatively been suggested that this

2950-676: The Governorate General of Brazil in the city of Salvador , which became the capital of a single and centralized Portuguese colony in South America. In the first two centuries of colonization, Indigenous and European groups lived in constant war, establishing opportunistic alliances in order to gain advantages against each other. By the mid-16th century, cane sugar had become Brazil's most important export, while slaves purchased in Sub-Saharan Africa in

3068-884: The Mantiqueira and Espinhaço mountains and the Serra do Mar . In the north, the Guiana Highlands form a major drainage divide, separating rivers that flow south into the Amazon Basin from rivers that empty into the Orinoco River system, in Venezuela, to the north. The highest point in Brazil is the Pico da Neblina at 2,994 meters (9,823 ft), and the lowest is the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil has

3186-533: The Monroe Doctrine ". These ideas had little impact on the administrations of Chester Arthur (Republican, 1881–1885) or Grover Cleveland (Democrat, 1885–1889). However, Blaine did have the backing of influential businessmen and church and peace groups, which in turn lobbied the Congress . As a result, Congress adopted a resolution (24 May 1888) which urged a reluctant President Grover Cleveland to hold

3304-578: The New York Evening Post in 1888, the term " Pan-Americanism " was coined. Pan-Americanism refers to the movement toward commercial, social, economic, military, and political cooperation among the nations of North, Central, and South America. The term was largely used the following year at the First International Conference of American States in Washington D.C. 1889-90. International summits have been held in

3422-815: The Pan-American Conferences , were meetings of the Pan-American Union , an international organization for cooperation on trade . James G. Blaine , a United States politician, Secretary of State and presidential contender, first proposed establishment of closer ties between the United States and its southern neighbors and proposed international conference. Blaine hoped that ties between the United States and its southern counterparts would open Latin American markets to US trade. On 2 December 1823, President James Monroe delivered

3540-542: The Petrobras corruption scandal . President Temer himself was also accused of corruption . According to a 2018 poll, 62% of the population said that corruption was Brazil's biggest problem. In the fiercely disputed 2018 elections , the controversial conservative candidate Jair Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party (PSL) was elected president, winning in the second round against Fernando Haddad , of

3658-632: The Quilombo of Palmares , and to repress all movements for autonomy or independence , such as the Minas Gerais Conspiracy . In late 1807, Spanish and Napoleonic forces threatened the security of continental Portugal , causing Prince Regent John , in the name of Queen Maria I , to move the royal court from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro . There they established some of Brazil's first financial institutions, such as its local stock exchanges and its National Bank , additionally ending

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3776-491: The South American country. Home to 60% of the Amazon rainforest , which accounts for approximately one-tenth of all species in the world, Brazil is considered to have the greatest biodiversity of any country on the planet, containing over 70% of all animal and plant species catalogued. Brazil has the most known species of plants (55,000), freshwater fish (3,000) and mammals (over 689). It also ranks third on

3894-467: The Tupi–Guarani family and fought among themselves. Though the first settlement was founded in 1532, colonization effectively began in 1534, when King John III of Portugal divided the territory into the fifteen private and autonomous captaincies . However, the decentralized and unorganized tendencies of the captaincies proved problematic, and in 1549 the Portuguese king restructured them into

4012-533: The Workers Party (PT), with the support of 55.13% of the valid votes. In the early 2020s, Brazil became one of the hardest hit countries during the COVID-19 pandemic , receiving the second-highest death toll worldwide after the United States. In May 2021, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that he would run for a third term in the 2022 Brazilian general election against Bolsonaro. In October 2022, Lula

4130-497: The first constitution in 1824 led to the formation of a bicameral legislature, now called the National Congress . Slavery was abolished in 1888. The country became a presidential republic in 1889 following a military coup d'état . An authoritarian military dictatorship emerged in 1964 and ruled until 1985, after which civilian governance resumed. Brazil's current constitution , formulated in 1988, defines it as

4248-475: The slave market of Western Africa (not only those from Portuguese allies of their colonies in Angola and Mozambique ), had become its largest import, to cope with sugarcane plantations , due to increasing international demand for Brazilian sugar. Brazil received more than 2.8 million slaves from Africa between the years 1500 and 1800. By the end of the 17th century, sugarcane exports began to decline and

4366-453: The " economic miracle ", the regime reached a peak in popularity in the early 1970s. Slowly, however, the wear and tear of years of dictatorial power had not slowed the repression, even after the defeat of the leftist guerrillas. The inability to deal with the economic crises of the period and popular pressure made an opening policy inevitable, which from the regime side was led by Generals Ernesto Geisel and Golbery do Couto e Silva . With

4484-425: The "Western Hemisphere", Secretary of State James. G. Blaine determined that if the United States were to be the country that put forward the idea of a Union of America, the United States would hold the upper hand and would be able to guide the agenda as well as carry heavy weight in major decision-makings. Another reason for this union was for the United States to be financially benefited from the other countries – this

4602-571: The ' Monroe Doctrine ' which would eventually influence Secretary of State James G. Blaine to push for the creation of the Pan-American Conferences. In this speech, President Monroe stated that any further attempts by the Europeans to colonize the American continent (North, Central and South) would be seen as an act of aggression and would risk intervention by the United States. This doctrine was set in place in order to ensure that

4720-634: The 1930s, three attempts to remove Vargas and his supporters from power failed. The first was the Constitutionalist Revolution in 1932, led by São Paulo's oligarchy . The second was a Communist uprising in November 1935, and the last one a putsch attempt by local fascists in May 1938. The 1935 uprising created a security crisis in which Congress transferred more power to the executive branch. The 1937 coup d'état resulted in

4838-542: The Americas, with a total area of 8,515,767.049 km (3,287,956 sq mi), including 55,455 km (21,411 sq mi) of water. North to South, Brazil is also the longest country in the world, spanning 4,395 km (2,731 mi) from north to south, and the only country in the world that has the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn running through it. It spans four time zones ; from UTC−5 comprising

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4956-542: The Argentine delegation, that the United States was seeking "hegemonic arbitration". There was also tension over question of whether military conquest could result in acquisition of sovereignty after a war. The specific concern was Chilean expansion at the expense of Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific (1879–81). In the end the Conference failed to reach agreement on the establishment of an effective customs union, but

5074-443: The Brazilian economy. Cardoso won the 1994 election , and again in 1998 . The peaceful transition of power from Cardoso to his main opposition leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ( elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006 ), was seen as proof that Brazil had achieved a long-sought political stability. However, sparked by indignation and frustrations accumulated over decades from corruption, police brutality , inefficiencies of

5192-409: The Chilean delegate sitting in silence, resting his chin in his hand, staring at the rich red carpet, saying nothing. There was a brief moment of humor, also recorded by Martí: "The secretary read the draft resolution. 'In America there are no res nullis territories...' The Northamerican delegate Estee turned to his colleagues and whispered: 'Res what?' ... Smiles". If arbitration was the major issue in

5310-536: The Conference invitations were withdrawn on the grounds that the unsettled situation at home and abroad would make such an event impossible. Now a private citizen, Blaine continued to lobby for his Inter-American Conference. Among other things, he wrote an article titled "The Foreign Policy of the Garfield Administration", in which he revealed that his idea for a Conference had a second motive in addition to avoiding war: commercial relations. He linked

5428-591: The Conference. With little enthusiasm, Cleveland's Secretary of State Thomas F. Bayard sent the invitations in July 1888. This was late in Cleveland's term, and the Conference was scheduled to be held during the presidency of his successor. This successor, Benjamin Harrison, returned Blaine to the post of Secretary of State and encouraged him to move ahead with the Conference. By this time the original motivation of developing mechanisms for peaceful resolution of disputes

5546-586: The Cuban issue, on balance the conference was a positive event. This view was strengthened after the defeat of Blaine's proposals on arbitration and the customs union, and the approval of less sweeping alternatives proposed by the Latin American delegations. Martí was especially impressed by the value of having key figures in Hemisphere diplomacy meet and work together for an extended period of time. Beyond

5664-399: The Latin delegations supported a joint proposal drafted by Argentina's Sáenz Peña and co-sponsored by Brazil . Martí describes the tension as the outnumbered U.S. delegation began to weaken in its defense of Blaine's draft: "Discretion commands us to be quiet regarding some of the scenes which were nothing less than dramatic and which carried a strong dose of healthy arrogance. In one of them

5782-798: The Portuguese had to fight, notably the French in Rio during the 1560s , in Maranhão during the 1610s , and the Dutch in Bahia and Pernambuco , during the Dutch–Portuguese War , after the end of Iberian Union . The Portuguese colonial administration in Brazil had two objectives that would ensure colonial order and the monopoly of Portugal's wealthiest and largest colony: to keep under control and eradicate all forms of slave rebellion and resistance, such as

5900-541: The Portuguese monopoly on Brazilian trade and opening Brazil's ports to other nations. In 1809, in retaliation for being forced into exile, the Prince Regent ordered the conquest of French Guiana . With the end of the Peninsular War in 1814, the courts of Europe demanded that Queen Maria I and Prince Regent John return to Portugal, deeming it unfit for the head of an ancient European monarchy to reside in

6018-513: The U.S. great advantages in matters of arbitration, customs unions and trade were demolished in the face of strong opposition. But the opposition was not simply negative reaction to the initiatives of the stronger nation: it was accompanied by counter-proposals which in the long run were accepted, albeit grudgingly, by the United States. In the process the juridical and institutional seeds of the inter-American system were planted. It would be many years before they would come to full fruition, and indeed

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6136-607: The U.S. incursion into Mexico. Although the United States were in the middle of a war with Mexico at the time of the conference, the United States was permitted to send a representative to serve as a symbol of unity to the forces present outside of the Americas (mainly Europe). The Third Latin American Conference in September 1856 in Santiago Although this conference only consisted of two meetings, it

6254-444: The U.S. representatives failed to attend the conference. Titled the Panama Congress, the countries agreed to unite, convene with each other on a regular basis and provide financial and military backing to the treaty. The Second Latin American Conference, December 1847 – March 1, 1848 in Lima, Peru The Latin American Conference in Lima, Peru was in response to two threats: the fear of Spanish designs upon South America's west coast and

6372-403: The United States by limiting extra-hemispheric trade. For countries with heavy European trade (such as Argentina and Brazil), this would represent a major change. In particular the long established trading partnership between Argentina and England would be seriously affected by the American zollverein. And thus once more the Argentine delegation led the challenge to the North Americans, arguing that

6490-407: The United States. Although the U.S. would also be bound by arbitration, there seemed little likelihood that this nation would get embroiled in a border sovereignty issues such as those that plagued the nations to the South; and if it did, the presence of the tribunal in Washington would give the U.S. visible and invisible instruments with which to shape the outcome. To oppose the U.S. arbitration plan

6608-471: The United States. Leadership among the Latin American nations was exercised mainly by the Argentine delegation, in part because of the high caliber of its delegates, but also because Argentina saw U.S.-guided Panamericanism as a threat to her special relationship with key European countries. Argentine opposition began with the issue of electing the chairman of the Conference. The U.S. delegation more or less assumed that Blaine as host would be elected. But Blaine

6726-485: The Western Hemisphere was excavated in the Amazon basin of Brazil and radiocarbon dated to 8,000 years ago (6000 BC). The pottery was found near Santarém and provides evidence that the region supported a complex prehistoric culture. The Marajoara culture flourished on Marajó in the Amazon delta from AD 400 to 1400, developing sophisticated pottery, social stratification , large populations, mound building , and complex social formations such as chiefdoms . Around

6844-402: The agenda and lead the delegations; the Conference would also serve as a vehicle for showing the U.S. economic and cultural strengths off to key statesmen of the southern nations. On the other hand, Blaine also held views that could properly be called " Panamerican " in that he believed in the special role of the nations of the New World as a beacon of hope and progress, in considerable contrast to

6962-416: The almost-unknown Fernando Collor , who was subsequently impeached by the National Congress in 1992. Collor was succeeded by his vice-president, Itamar Franco , who appointed Fernando Henrique Cardoso Minister of Finance. In 1994, Cardoso produced a highly successful Plano Real , that, after decades of failed economic plans made by previous governments attempting to curb hyperinflation, finally stabilized

7080-408: The approval of the Golden Law . The foreign-affairs policies of the monarchy dealt with issues with the countries of the Southern Cone with whom Brazil had borders. Long after the Cisplatine War that resulted in the independence of Uruguay , Brazil won three international wars during the 58-year reign of Pedro II: the Platine War , the Uruguayan War and the devastating Paraguayan War ,

7198-449: The arrival of the Europeans, the boundaries between these groups and their subgroups were marked by wars that arose from differences in culture, language and moral beliefs. These wars also involved large-scale military actions on land and water, with cannibalistic rituals on prisoners of war . While heredity had some weight, leadership was a status more won over time than assigned in succession ceremonies and conventions. Slavery among

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7316-405: The cancellation of the 1938 election and formalized Vargas as dictator, beginning the Estado Novo era. During this period, government brutality and censorship of the press increased. During World War II , Brazil remained neutral until August 1942, when the country suffered retaliation by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy in a strategic dispute over the South Atlantic, and, therefore, entered

7434-400: The central power, coupled with old and latent social tensions peculiar to a vast, slaveholding and newly independent nation state . This period of internal political and social upheaval, which included the Praieira revolt in Pernambuco , was overcome only at the end of the 1840s, years after the end of the regency, which occurred with the premature coronation of Pedro II in 1841. During

7552-407: The colonies that were currently in place (and independent) would remain that way and to ensure that America would be able to remain independent of each other and yet bond each other together at the same time. This unofficial union of the countries that comprised North, Central and South America would allow for relationships to slowly develop between the countries. In an attempt to solidify the idea of

7670-641: The conference provided concrete instruments for consolidating Martí's "nuestra America". As he watched the delegates depart in May 1890, Martí noted the way they had changed over the long seven months of personal and official contact: "They are leaving now, wiser and silent, the delegates who came from the nations of America to deal, at Washington's invitation, with American issues. The Central Americans are returning, more "centralamerican" than when they arrived, because when they arrived they were suspicious of each other, and now they return together as if they understood that this way of proceeding will be better for them. In

7788-400: The conference, and Secretary of State Blaine had let it be known he would be pleased to be asked. However, the U.S. delegation had not counted on the strong opposition by two delegations ( Argentina and Chile ), each for different reasons, which managed to persuade other delegations to oppose Blaine's candidacy on the grounds that he could not serve as president because he was not technically

7906-467: The conference. The Latin American delegates protested this appointment, citing their dislike of Curtis' travelogue , The Capitals of Spanish America, as well as Curtis' lack of Spanish fluency. They demanded his replacement by two bilingual secretaries. This was one of Blaine's key goals, since he believe that compulsory arbitration (at least for the Latin Americans) was the most effective way of settling international problems and border disputes such as

8024-418: The continent's interior, sharing land borders with Uruguay to the south; Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest; Bolivia and Peru to the west; Colombia to the northwest; and Venezuela , Guyana , Suriname and France (French overseas region of French Guiana ) to the north. It shares a border with every South American country except Ecuador and Chile . The brazilian territory also encompasses

8142-460: The conversations all manner of things are emerging, little by little, without the caution seen in the official contacts: the curious notes, the correcting of misunderstandings, the astonishments". One important by-product of the conference was the increased respect the U.S. government now had for its Hemispheric neighbors. The easy assumption that the U.S. delegation would be able to convince their Latin American colleagues to approve resolutions giving

8260-416: The demands of revolutionaries who had taken the city of Porto , John VI departed for Lisbon. There he swore an oath to the new constitution, leaving his son, Prince Pedro de Alcântara , as Regent of the Kingdom of Brazil . Tensions between Portuguese and Brazilians increased and the Portuguese Cortes , guided by the new political regime imposed by the Liberal Revolution , tried to re-establish Brazil as

8378-601: The discovery of gold by bandeirantes in the 1690s would become the new backbone of the colony's economy, fostering a gold rush which attracted thousands of new settlers to Brazil from Portugal and all Portuguese colonies around the world. This increased level of immigration in turn caused some conflicts between newcomers and old settlers. Portuguese expeditions known as bandeiras gradually expanded Brazil's original colonial frontiers in South America to its approximately current borders. In this era other European powers tried to colonize parts of Brazil, in incursions that

8496-477: The enactment of the Amnesty Law in 1979, Brazil began a slow return to democracy , which was completed during the 1980s. Civilians returned to power in 1985 when José Sarney assumed the presidency. He became unpopular during his tenure through failure to control the economic crisis and hyperinflation he inherited from the military regime. Sarney's unsuccessful government led to the election in 1989 of

8614-587: The first Latin American Conference took place in Panama. Bolivar wanted to unite all of Latin America together in order to prevent invasion by the United States as well as other major powers at that time. The United States was permitted to send representatives, and President John Quincy Adams supported the initiative, but the United States Congress was slow to provide funding for the delegation and

8732-456: The first time, "a drought has covered all the way from the North to the country’s Southeast". It is the strongest drought in Brazil since the beginning of measurement in the 1950s, covering almost 60% of the country's territory. The drought is linked to deforestation and climate change. Brazilian topography is also diverse and includes hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. Much of

8850-643: The following cities: Pan-American Conferences trace their origins back to earlier Pan-American summits. The four Latin American Conferences took place prior to the Pan-American Conferences but were highly influential in the campaign to create the Pan-American Union. They are as follows: Congress of Panama on June 22, 1826 in Panama City Initiated by general Simon Bolivar (a Venezuelan political and military leader),

8968-525: The formal resolutions, Martí observed, there were important human relationships which would result in closer ties between the diverse nations of the Hemisphere. In many ways, this was the enduring legacy of the Conference: the regular pattern of inter-American meetings at five-year intervals for many decades to come. Coupled with the establishment of a permanent secretariat, a library, and a data bank on matters pertaining to trade, commerce and transportation,

9086-459: The highest areas. The semiarid climatic region generally receives less than 800 millimeters (31.5 in) of rain, most of which generally falls in a period of three to five months of the year and occasionally less than this, creating long periods of drought. Brazil's 1877–78 Grande Seca (Great Drought), the worst in Brazil's history, caused approximately half a million deaths. A similarly devastating drought occurred in 1915. In 2024, for

9204-514: The inaugural session and even withdraw from the conference, if Blaine were named president of the congress. Faced with this opposition, and not wishing to have a still-born conference, Blaine quietly withdrew his name, and the head of the U.S. delegation (international lawyer John B. Henderson ) was selected instead. Blaine named journalist and diplomat William Eleroy Curtis as the State Department's executive agent in charge of planning

9322-526: The indigenous groups had a different meaning than it had for Europeans, since it originated from a diverse socioeconomic organization, in which asymmetries were translated into kinship relations. Following the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas , the land now called Brazil was claimed for the Portuguese Empire on 22 April 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese fleet commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral . The Portuguese encountered indigenous peoples divided into several ethnic societies, most of whom spoke languages of

9440-433: The inter-American system (32). Martí describes it for us: "But when the Argentine delegate Sáenz Peña pronounced, as if a challenge, the last phrase of his speech on the zollverein, a phrase which is both banner and barrier: 'Let America be for all humanity', all the delegates stood up, grateful, understood what was not being said, and rushed to shake his hand". Despite many reservations, and the lack of any decisive action on

9558-489: The inter-American system, that all sovereign nations in the Hemisphere are equal in the eyes of international law despite their size, population, wealth, or military power. The debate over the problem of what rights a victor would have after a war was a sensitive one. The formal written record is sterile and inoffensive. But Martí reveals how the debate was influenced by the U.S. conquests in the Southwest at Mexico's expense

9676-723: The intervention that had taken place by mostly European powers. At this time, there had been an increased amount of interaction between Latin America and the United States through the actions that the European powers took regarding the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Chincha Islands . Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest and easternmost country in South America and Latin America . It

9794-463: The largest war effort in Brazilian history. Although there was no desire among the majority of Brazilians to change the country's form of government , on 15 November 1889, in disagreement with the majority of the Imperial Army officers, as well as with rural and financial elites (for different reasons), the monarchy was overthrown by a military coup. A few days later, the national flag

9912-579: The last 150 years. Despite its growing economic and global profile, the country continues to face high levels of corruption , crime and social inequality . Brazil is a founding member of the United Nations , the G20 , BRICS , G4 , Mercosul , Organization of American States , Organization of Ibero-American States , and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries , and also an observer state of

10030-534: The last phase of the monarchy, internal political debate centered on the issue of slavery. The Atlantic slave trade was abandoned in 1850, as a result of the British Aberdeen Act and the Eusébio de Queirós Law , but only in May 1888, after a long process of internal mobilization and debate for an ethical and legal dismantling of slavery in the country , was the institution formally abolished with

10148-416: The nations of the Hemisphere to come to Washington in November 1881 with the principal goal of considering and discussing methods to prevent war between the nations of the Hemisphere. But destiny intervened: President James A. Garfield was assassinated on 19 September 1881 and the new President Chester A. Arthur , who was no friend of Blaine's, quickly removed him from the State Department. Shortly afterward,

10266-465: The naturally regenerating forest, 44% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 30% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For 2015, 56.% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership and 44% private ownership . Many regions have starkly different microclimates . An equatorial climate characterizes much of northern Brazil. There

10384-487: The new capital city of Brasília , inaugurated in 1960. Kubitschek's successor, Jânio Quadros , resigned in 1961 less than a year after taking office. His vice-president, João Goulart , assumed the presidency, but aroused strong political opposition and was deposed in April 1964 by a coup that resulted in a military dictatorship . The new regime was intended to be transitory but gradually closed in on itself and became

10502-439: The north and semiarid deserts in the northeast, to temperate coniferous forests in the south and tropical savannas in central Brazil. In Brazil, forest cover is around 59% of the total land area, equivalent to 496,619,600 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 588,898,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 485,396,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 11,223,600 hectares (ha). Of

10620-470: The northern, northeastern regions and in the Cisplatina province. The last Portuguese soldiers surrendered on 8 March 1824; Portugal officially recognized Brazilian independence on 29 August 1825. On 7 April 1831, worn down by years of administrative turmoil and political dissent with both liberal and conservative sides of politics, including an attempt of republican secession and unreconciled to

10738-514: The official Portuguese name. Some early sailors called it the "Land of Parrots". In the Guaraní language , an official language of Paraguay , Brazil is called "Pindorama", meaning 'land of the palm trees'. Some of the earliest human remains found in the Americas , Luzia Woman , were found in the area of Pedro Leopoldo , Minas Gerais and provide evidence of human habitation going back at least 11,000 years. The earliest pottery ever found in

10856-415: The one which had led to the War of the Pacific . The problem was that the arbitration plan proposed by Blaine and the U.S. delegation was seen by the Latin delegations as one-sided, since it emphasized that disputes would be settled by binding arbitration in a tribunal set up in Washington under considerable U.S. influence. To them it appeared to be an unacceptable surrender of too much of their sovereignty to

10974-529: The political establishment and public service , numerous peaceful protests erupted in Brazil in the middle of the first term of Dilma Rousseff , who had succeeded Lula after winning election in 2010 and again in 2014 by narrow margins. Rousseff was impeached by the Brazilian Congress in 2016, halfway into her second term, and replaced by her Vice-president Michel Temer , who assumed full presidential powers after Rousseff's impeachment

11092-414: The political field, the customs union (or "zollverein") proposed by Blaine and the U.S. delegation was its equivalent in the economic arena. Here also there was much suspicion of U.S. motives, especially after the less than subtle excursion through the industrial heartland of the host country. The Latin delegations, especially those from South America, saw the proposed customs union as excessively favoring

11210-405: The present-day Organization of American States . This was the first substantive matter taken up by the conference, and it set the tone for further differences. The U.S. delegation automatically assumed that since their government had convoked the conference and was providing its seat (to say nothing of the excursion and the social events), they should have the right to name the presiding officer of

11328-626: The problems facing the system today reflect basic differences of approach which are still unresolved. But as José Martí showed, Ariel and Caliban came together and talked to each other in 1889-1890. They greatly increased their knowledge of each other in the six months of the First International American Conference. In the process they discovered that despite their differences, they shared a fundamental reality: our America. Inter-American Conference The Conferences of American States , commonly referred to as

11446-456: The proposed customs union would cut off their commerce with the Old World in favor of the United States. The debate produced what was probably the singly most dramatic moment of the conference as Saénz Peña reached the climax of his speech, ending with a phrase, which an Argentine observer has aptly called "a slogan which became a doctrine for Argentina" in her opposition to U.S. leadership in

11564-458: The seemingly constant wars, competition and quarrels of the Old World. In a period of considerable tension in South America just after the War of the Pacific , his motivations also included a deeply felt belief that it was necessary to find more effective ways of avoiding or resolving conflicts between the American states, in part because such conflicts might lead to European intervention. And so, as Secretary of State, Blaine sent invitations to all

11682-500: The speeches of Henry Clay and "the Western Hemisphere idea", Blaine believed that the moment had come for the United States to exercise diplomatic leadership by convoking a meeting of all the Hemisphere's nations. The notion was a curious mixture of nationalism and continentalism . On the one hand the narrow interests of the United States would be served because as host and organizer the U.S. would presumably be able to set

11800-697: The state of Acre and the westernmost portion of Amazonas , to UTC−4 in the western states, to UTC−3 in the eastern states (the national time ) and UTC−2 in the Atlantic islands . The climate of Brazil comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large area and varied topography, but most of the country is tropical. According to the Köppen system , Brazil hosts six major climatic subtypes: desert , equatorial , tropical , semiarid , oceanic and subtropical . The different climatic conditions produce environments ranging from equatorial rainforests in

11918-445: The terrain lies between 200 meters (660 ft) and 800 meters (2,600 ft) in elevation. The main upland area occupies most of the southern half of the country. The northwestern parts of the plateau consist of broad, rolling terrain broken by low, rounded hills. The southeastern section is more rugged, with a complex mass of ridges and mountain ranges reaching elevations of up to 1,200 meters (3,900 ft). These ranges include

12036-498: The timber to European traders (mostly Portuguese, but also French) in return for assorted European consumer goods. The official Portuguese name of the land, in original Portuguese records, was the "Land of the Holy Cross" ( Terra da Santa Cruz ), but European sailors and merchants commonly called it the "Land of Brazil" ( Terra do Brasil ) because of the brazilwood trade. The popular appellation eclipsed and eventually supplanted

12154-536: The time of the Portuguese arrival, the territory of current day Brazil had an estimated indigenous population of 7 million people, mostly semi-nomadic, who subsisted on hunting, fishing, gathering, and migrant agriculture. The population comprised several large indigenous ethnic groups (e.g., the Tupis , Guaranis , Gês , and Arawaks ). The Tupi people were subdivided into the Tupiniquins and Tupinambás . Before

12272-508: The twenty-seven delegates from thirteen countries settled in to tackle their substantial agenda. Two nations which might have been expected to play a major role, were passive: Brazil because of internal political developments (the Empire was giving way to the Republic), and Mexico , which under the long-term authoritarian rule of Porfirio Díaz had a special and deferential relationship with

12390-631: The two ideas together by arguing that greater commercial inter-dependence would lead to growth and stability, and thus peace. It was also clear that the mix of nationalism and continentalism continued, since Blaine acknowledged that it was in the self-interest of the U.S. to find new markets in the Hemisphere. To achieve this he proposed an American customs union, or " zollverein ", which would give preference to inter-American trade and reduce that with Europe, especially England. The resulting greater isolation of America from Europe, Blaine believed, would make it less likely that "the United States would have to defend

12508-534: The wake of the murder of his running mate, the defeated opposition presidential candidate Getúlio Vargas , supported by most of the military, successfully led the Revolution of 1930 . Vargas and the military were supposed to assume power temporarily, but instead closed down Congress, extinguished the Constitution, ruled with emergency powers and replaced the states' governors with his own supporters. In

12626-696: The war on the allied side . In addition to its participation in the battle of the Atlantic , Brazil also sent an expeditionary force to fight in the Italian campaign . With the Allied victory in 1945 and the end of the fascist regimes in Europe, Vargas's position became unsustainable, and he was swiftly overthrown in another military coup, with democracy "reinstated" by the same army that had ended it 15 years earlier. Vargas committed suicide in August 1954 amid

12744-478: The way that absolutists in Portugal had given in the succession of King John VI, Pedro I departed for Portugal to reclaim his daughter's crown after abdicating the Brazilian throne in favor of his five-year-old son and heir (Dom Pedro II ). As the new Emperor could not exert his constitutional powers until he came of age, a regency was set up by the National Assembly. In the absence of

12862-646: The world in both nominal and PPP terms—the largest in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere . Classified as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank , and a newly industrialized country by the IMF , Brazil has the largest share of wealth and the most complex economy in South America. It is also one of the world's major breadbaskets , being the largest producer of coffee for

12980-406: Was able to point with pride to a series of agreements on commercial and trade matters, as well as an arbitration agreement (albeit not as strong as the United States wished). However, the latter was never ratified, and the commercial agreements were limited by concern that they were too favorable to the United States. Almost hidden by the controversy over arbitration, conquest rights and customs unions

13098-505: Was accepted on 31 August. Large street protests for and against her took place during the impeachment process. The charges against her were fueled by political and economic crises along with evidence of involvement with politicians from all the primary political parties. In 2017, the Supreme Court requested the investigation of 71 Brazilian lawmakers and nine ministers of President Michel Temer 's cabinet who were allegedly linked to

13216-532: Was called due to the worry that the Latin Americans had towards the United States regarding their want of more territory and this time the United States was not invited. There was an attempt at signing a Continental Treaty but it fell through due to disagreements between the delegates. The fourth Latin American Conference in November 1864 in Lima, Peru Failed in its attempts to make any agreements regarding

13334-430: Was in first place in the first round, with 48.43% of the support from the electorate, and received 50.90% of the votes in the second round. On 8 January 2023, a week after Lula's inauguration, a mob of Bolsonaro's supporters attacked Brazil's federal government buildings in the capital, Brasília , after several weeks of unrest. Brazil occupies a large area along the eastern coast of South America and includes much of

13452-488: Was openly joined by the commercial motivation, which at times seemed to overwhelm the search for peace. One measure of this shift was the composition of the U.S. delegation: with ten members, it was by far the largest, and most of the delegates were from commerce and industry. Before the conference, thirty-six Latin American delegates were given a six-week train tour of the United States, intended to instill camaraderie and showcase American industrial capacity. This accomplished,

13570-442: Was replaced with a new design that included the national motto " Ordem e Progresso ", influenced by positivism . 15 November is now Republic Day , a national holiday. The early republican government was a military dictatorship, with the army dominating affairs both in Rio de Janeiro and in the states. Freedom of the press disappeared and elections were controlled by those in power. Not until 1894, following an economic crisis and

13688-542: Was technically not a delegate, and the Argentines (backed by the Chileans, who mistrusted Blaine because of his diplomatic role in the War of the Pacific ) seized on this to argue that he was not qualified, and thus got the deliberations off to a sour start. In their sessions from 20 January to 27 April 1890 the delegates devoted much time to the issue of arbitration. There was considerable concern, eloquently voiced by

13806-533: Was the Saénz Peña draft which ultimately won out over Blaine's: "And without anger or defiance, but with prudence, the union of the cautious and decorous peoples of Hispanic America defeated the Northamerican plan for continental and compulsory arbitration over the republics of America, with a continuous and unappealable tribunal resident in Washington. 'You must give up those dreams, Mister Secretary', it

13924-609: Was the conference's perhaps more significant achievement: the concept of regular inter-American meetings and the creation of permanent secretariat. The 14 April 1890 date of the founding of the secretariat, originally known as the International Bureau of American Republics , is celebrated as the "Day of the Americas" in recognition of the fact that the Bureau later became the Pan American Union and ultimately

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