PUBLIC POLICIES AND PRIVATE INTERESTS: an analysis from the Nacala corridor in Mozambique

From 2003, Brazilian external politics presented a noticeable curve towards deepening and expanding relations with other countries from the “Global South”. In this context, the African continent gained importance for Brazilian international relations. The goal of this article is to advance the understanding of the participation of the business sector for the Brazilian cooperation in Mozambique. The results showed that companies and their private projects were mixed in the territories. We examined the case of the Nacala corridor, an intersection of the main and largest cooperation and investment initiatives from Brazilian companies in Mozambique. The resulting scenario shows a game board in which the South-South cooperation and, inside it, Brazilian cooperation, cannot be understood without considering their relations with business interests and investments, the power struggles with other countries and the policies from multi-lateral institutions like the World Bank.

Brazilian multinationals; Infrastructure; South-South Cooperation; Mozambique; Development