In 1906, Joaquim Nabuco reveals the behind-the-scenes of Brazil-US diplomacy.

• Handwritten letter from Joaquim Nabuco to Dr Gastão da Cunha.
• In Portuguese.
• One sheet, four pages.
• Dimensions: 13.6 cm x 17.3 cm.
• No location given, October 13, 1906.
• Excellent condition.
• Unique piece.
  

Excerpt

(...) My feelings are deeply Monrovian and I would like to work for such a complete understanding between the two countries that it would be considered by all as a tacit alliance.

The Secretary of State, Mr. Root, will visit Brazil on the occasion of the 3rd Pan-American Congress, and I am very interested in him meeting with Dr. Penna there as well, to see that the future Presidency will follow the same path.

All my efforts from now until July will be to ensure that this visit has maximum political importance. A few days ago a friend told me that as soon as I arrived I could leave, because I had achieved everything.

The fact is that it is up to us to make the visit of the Secretary of State, Mr. Root, a first-class event of great magnitude. If it is not, it will be a disappointment for that very reason.

In 1906, Joaquim Nabuco was one of Brazil's most important diplomats and intellectuals, holding the position of Brazilian ambassador to the United States, being the first to officially represent the country in Washington. Known for his fight for the abolition of slavery, he also played a fundamental role in Brazilian diplomacy, seeking to strengthen relations between Brazil and the United States. That year, he was involved in organizing the visit of the US Secretary of State Elihu Root to Brazil, an event of great political and strategic importance for the rapprochement between the two countries. In addition to his diplomatic work, Nabuco continued to write and influence Brazilian political thought, defending liberal ideas and the development of a modern foreign policy for Brazil. The recipient is Gastão da Cunha, who was also a Brazilian diplomat.

Joaquim Nabuco's letter to Gastão da Cunha, written on October 13, 1906, addresses two main themes: personal condolences and international diplomacy. At the beginning, Nabuco expresses his sorrow for the loss of a loved one of Gastão's. He then discusses the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Elihu Root to Brazil in the context of the 3rd Pan-American Congress, emphasizing the importance of this event in strengthening ties between the two countries. Nabuco mentions his efforts to ensure that the visit would have a major political impact and be seen as a milestone in the Brazil-U.S. relationship.

An interesting detail: the word “Monrovians” refers to the followers of the Monroe Doctrine, a 19th-century U.S. foreign policy that emphasized European non-intervention in the American continent and U.S. influence over Latin America. When writing “My feelings are deeply Monrovian,” Joaquim Nabuco expresses his belief in the rapprochement between Brazil and the United States within the diplomatic context of the time.

The letter is exceptional in its historical aspect. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at Brazilian diplomacy in the early 20th century and Nabuco's strategy to consolidate an alliance with the United States. Thus, the document not only records an important episode in Brazil's diplomatic history, but also shows the thinking and actions of one of the country's greatest intellectuals.