Foreign Policy Decision-Making Under the Geisel Government the President, the Military and the Foreign Ministry by Leticia De Ab
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Foreign policy decision-making under the Geisel government the President, the military and the foreign ministry by Leticia de Abreu Pinheiro Thesis submitted for the Degree of Ph.D. of International Relations Department of International Relations/London School of Economics and Political Science 1994 UMI Number: U615787 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615787 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 I i-+£s f 7ZZZ f & O N O ^ * I ABSTRACT This thesis seeks to provide an explanation for the contents of three foreign policy decisions implemented under the government of general Ernesto Geisel (1974-79). It does so by analyzing the decision-making process which led Brazil l)to abstain in the Meetings of Consultation of American Foreign Ministers for voting the lifting of sanctions against Cuba; 2)to restore diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China; and 3)to recognize Angola's MPLA government. The central hypothesis of the thesis is that, although the doctrine of the regime (National Security Doctrine/NSD) has shaped the general conduct of the government, it is not enough to explain the changes in the main lines of foreign policy. It is necessary to analyze the decision making arena where those changes were indeed defined. The first part of the thesis seeks to review the literature on Brazilian foreign policy under the military regime and to present the perspective of analysis. Then the origins and contents of the NSD, in particular its external components, are presented. In addition, it aims to describe the general structure of the decision making arena under Geisel's government, and the main aspects of the foreign policy implemented during this administration. The following three chapters then seek to reconstruct the decision-making process aiming to retrieve from the analysis of the bargains among the bureaucratic role- players, the meaningful elements of the decision contents. The conclusion then claims that it was President Geisel's leadership, along with his Foreign Minister, which was able to oust the "ideological frontiers" precept from the core of the NSD, in spite of its admitted importance during the Cuban case. Furthermore it disputes the premise which states that the existence of a given ultimate consensus among the decision-makers based on the Doctrine is able to explain, on domestic grounds, the foreign policy of "Responsible Pragmatism". It does so by maintaining that the way whereby a new consensus around foreign policy was developed within the decision making arena is, in itself, a crucial element in understanding the decision contents. To Nicolai and Stephan with love, in exchange for the years I couldn't share their smiles. "Where secrecy exists in diplomacy it lies in the process of negotiation and this type of secrecy is commom to many professional or political activities. (...) Any negotiation attempting to bring two sides together, reconcile differing interests or resolve disputes accept that there has to be a stage of dialogue, understandings and misunderstandings which must be protected from third party observation and interjection so as to avoid the pressure from outside interests on the issue which might detrimentally influence the debate. Diplomacy activity is essentially a negotiation activity." Azeredo da Silveira, "0 Brasil e a Nova Ordem Internacional", Revista Brasileira de Politica Internacional. 18 (69/72), p.8. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements...........................................9 List of Authorities..................................... 11 Chapter I Introduction............................................14 Chapter II Foreign Policy and Military Regime in Brazil - flogtrinea— and actors........................................54 1 .The Military and the National Security Doctrine......... 57 1.1. The NSD's main external premises.................... 62 1.2. The deification of the NSD....................... 66 2.Decision Making Arena - the President, the Military and the Foreign Ministry................................ 73 2.1.The Presidency: ErnestoGeiselfs policy-making system and management style............................. 76 2.2.The inner circle...................................80 2.3. The outer circle...................................91 3. Conclusion..........................................99 4.Appendix 1 105 Chapter III The Foreign Policy of "Responsible Pragmatism" ......... 107 1.New International Order and Foreign Policy changes... 108 2.Political and economic aspects of Geiselfs government.115 3.The Foreign Policy of "Responsible Pragmatism"....... 123 4. Conclusion.......................................... 138 5.Appendix II.......................................... 141 Chapter IV Brazilian policy towards Cuba (1964/75): a sacred cow.... 144 1.Brazilian civilian governments assess the Castro regime...............................................145 2.The Brazilian military regime and the Cuban factor... 152 3.The requirements for a reversal...................... 158 4.Setting the scene for Geisel's stance towards Cuba... 167 4 1 1 1 Prazil.TXatin-America.............................. 167 4 .2 .Brazil—IIS.........................................170 5.Cuba and the Inter-American system - defining means and ends.................................................174 6.The process of decision-making....................... 179 6.1.Brazil indentifies and weighs its alternatives (XV Meeting of Consultation........................... 179 6.2.Not much to choose................................ 188 6.3.Brazil explains its position...................... 195 6t4.t£resil holds. tQ its decision (XVI Meeting of Consultation). ..................................198 7. Conclusion...........................................201 8.Appendix III......................................... 205 Chapter V The resumption of diplomatic relations with_the— People r_s Republic of China........................................ 209 1.Historical Background (1949-1969J.................... 213 2.Beijing and the international relations in the 1970s..218 3.Brazil and China in the 1970....................... 222 4.On the direction of a change ......................... 227 5.The moment of decision............................... 234 6.Forging the consensus................................ 239 7. Conclusion...........................................243 8.Appendix IV.......................................... 246 Chapter VI The recognition of Angolan Independence.................. 249 1.Brazilian foreign policy towards African colonialism - a historical perspective <1946-74).................. 252 2.Changing course - Brazilian Pragmatic policy towards African colonialism.................................. 268 3.Brazil defines its position towards Angola: victor, the potatoes**................................ 273 4.The weighing up of costs and benefits................ 279 5.Brazil honors its word: the recognition of Angolan independence........................................289 6.The impact of the decision........................... 293 7.The lesser of two evils: pondering alternatives...... 299 8.Adhering to the_decision despite negative feedback... 303 9. Conclusion...........................................305 10.Appendix V .......................................... 308 Chapter VII Conclusion...............................................315 Bibliography.............................................329 9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the course of researching and writing this thesis several institutions and persons were of great support. I would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnoldgico (CNPq) which made it feasible to attend the London School of Economics and Political Science to study for a doctorate/ as well as the award from the Overseas Research Students Committee. I would also like to thank the Centro de Pesquisa e Documentagao de Hist6ria Contempor&nea do Brasil da Fundagao Gettilio Vargas (CPDOC/FGV) on behalf of its director/ Alzira Alves de Abreu, for the financial and institutional support, without which I would not have been able to complete this dissertation. Amongst the persons whose intellectual and friendly support was fundamental in pursuing this project my deepest gratitude goes to my supervisor. Professor Christopher J. Hill, and to my best friends in London, Helene Sjursen and Monica Herz. Several friends in London, in Utrecht and in Rio de Janeiro have also contributed with their encouragement, criticism and friendship. I am deeply grateful to Alexandra de Mello e Silva, Beatriz Kushnir, Bruno Zero, Claudia Rezende, Creuza da Silva, Francisco de Holanda Ferreira, Giorgio 10 Mezzarios, Marina Cardoso, Mauricio Domingues, Monica Kornis, Paulo Nadanovsky, Paulo Wrobel, Reindert Haarsma, Silvia "Morena", and Wilma Mangabeira. I would also thank for the assistance several persons gave me throughout the research. Aloisio Campelo Jr., helped me with the tables;