Brazil in BRICS: From co-founder to supporting actor?

The expansion of the BRICS coalition into its new “BRICS Plus” configuration marks a pivotal moment in the shifting architecture of global governance. Framed as a step toward multipolarity and a more inclusive world order, the recent enlargement brought in Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia — each with its own ambitions and alliances.

For Brazil, however, the development is a double-edged sword. While BRICS+ opens broader opportunities, it also deepens internal asymmetries and risks diminishing the country’s relative influence in a bloc it helped found. The BRICS gravitational center is tilting further toward China, a shift The Brazilian Report flagged back in 2019 and 2023.