Rethinking the Role of Araujo Castro in Brazilian Position on the Decolonization of Africa

The rise of the anti-colonial movement had a direct and visible impact on the international system in the 1960s. Brazil’s anti-colonial position seemed to be rather contradictory: on one hand, the country supported the draft “Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,” but at the same time spoke up for the Portuguese colonial policy in preserving its colonies by emphasizing the “civilizing mission,” as well as for the French one in case of Tunisia and Algeria. The famous Brazilian diplomat and chancellor A. Castro sought to make the country’s position more consistent. In his speeches, he firmly rejected the legitimacy of any type of colonialism, defended the need to accelerate decolonization, and heavily criticized the position of Portugal in Africa. His speech at the UN on 3 “D”—disarmament, development, and decolonization, reflected the complex strategy. A. Castro believed that Brazil’s position should be opened and objective in order to gain the African support, while its support of Portugal would have negative consequences for Brazil. He sought rapprochement with African delegations, condemned apartheid, and emphasized the deep historical ties between Brazil and Africa. A. Castro led Brazilian delegation to set up UNCTAD to protect interests of developing countries. In 1974, Brazil recognized the independence of former Portuguese colonies, developed relations with Black Africa, and condemned the apartheid regime in South Africa. It was the doctrinal concepts of A. Castro that played an important role in the formation of country’s position on the issue of colonialism and development.