In 1906, Joaquim Nabuco revealed the behind-the-scenes workings of Brazil-US diplomacy.
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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 specified, October 13, 1906.
- Excellent condition.
- Unique piece.
Excerpt
(...) My feelings are deeply Monrovian and I would like to work towards such complete understanding between the two countries that it would be considered by all as a tacit alliance.
The Secretary of State, Mr. Root, will be visiting Brazil for 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 course.
All my efforts from now until July will be focused on ensuring that this visit has the utmost political importance. A friend told me a few days ago that I, having just arrived, could already leave, because I had already achieved everything.
The fact is that it depends solely on us to make the visit of the Secretary of State, Mr. Root, a first-rate event, one of great magnitude. And if it isn't, it will be a disappointment for that very reason.
In 1906, Joaquim Nabuco was one of Brazil's most important diplomats and intellectuals, serving as Brazil's ambassador to the United States, 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 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, advocating liberal ideas and the development of a modern foreign policy for Brazil. The recipient of this letter 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. Initially, Nabuco expresses his sorrow for the loss of a loved one of Gastão's. He then discusses the visit of the US 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 has a significant political impact and is seen as a milestone in Brazil-US relations.
An interesting detail: the word "Monroeists" refers to the adherents of the Monroe Doctrine, a 19th-century United States foreign policy that emphasized non-intervention by Europe in the Americas and US influence over Latin America. In writing "My feelings are profoundly Monroeist," Joaquim Nabuco expresses his belief in closer ties between Brazil and the United States within the diplomatic context of the time.
The letter is exceptional from a historical standpoint. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at Brazilian diplomacy in the early 20th century and Nabuco's strategy for consolidating an alliance with the United States. Thus, the document not only records an important episode in Brazil's diplomatic history, but also reveals the thinking and actions of one of the country's greatest intellectuals.
