During the administrations of Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil has considerably increased its activism on international issues, seeking to consolidate a leadership position among South American countries.
Especially in recent decades, the diplomatic tradition has reiterated the need to obtain the region’s support as an instrument to boost international projection. In this sense, the article aims to answer the following questions: could Brazil be considered as a regional power or leadership? And would this regional leadership role be recognized by its South American neighbors?