Brazil has had a complicated relationship with the United States throughout its history. The American Revolution inspired Brazil’s own Independence, and Brasilia was a reliable ally throughout both world wars and the Cold War.

In recent times, U.S. rhetoric and exceptionalism have given rise to paranoia about Brazil’s natural resources, namely a fear of U.S. coveting the Amazon and Brazil’s offshore hydrocarbon exploration. This paranoia mostly originates from the Left, but also resonates with parts of the Right.