Constancy in dissensus: e Brazilian legal framework and the emergency of "paradiplomacy of resistence"

Abstract

The international action of subnational states and municipalities, a phenomenon known as paradiplomacy, has been developing and systematizing in Brazil since 1990. Attempts to establish a general legislation on this phenomenon have been rejected in the country. There are currently some international agreements made by the federal government that establish the possibility of punctual international action by federated entities. Traditionally in Brazil, paradiplomacy is centered on actions related to economic and social development and environmental preservation and occurs without clashes with the federal government. However, the recent political polarization has also brought consequences for this area, inaugurating what is here called “paradiplomacy of resistance”, in which a counterpoint is established between the federal government and state governments in the international arena. It is argued in this article that the recent nuances assumed by paradiplomacy should be taken into account when discussing about its standardization, under penalty of slow down a process that has been important for the realization of the competences of subnational states and municipalities.