Brazil’s give-and-take in Africa

Senegalese children wait for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to visit at the Slave house (Maison des Esclaves) on Goree island 3km off Dakar, Senegal Thursday 14 April 2005. EPA/NIC BOTHMA

Why has Brazil decided to pardon nearly $900 million in debt to a dozen African countries? The move has been met with sharp criticism by many Brazilians, primarily due to the fact that four of those African nations are run by authoritarian governments with poor human rights records. Much like China and India, Brazil has been strengthening ties with the continent, dramatically increasing both political and economic influence in the region. So should Brazil move forward with its debt cancellation? And is this a case of a government’s economic incentives trumping politics and human rights concerns? 

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to:

Adama Gaye
Author, ‘China-Africa: The Dragon and the Ostrich’