In this contribution, we analyse an instance of revitalization of a dormant interregional organization dating back to the Cold War: the Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZOPACAS), initially launched by South American and African states in 1986 through the UN General Assembly. Drawing on the concept of “consensual hegemony” we argue that the current phase of ZOPACAS’ existence is characterized by Brazil's efforts to rekindle it, thus reflecting its aspiration to create a new space of influence, which fills the gap between South American and African regional security organizations. Rather than pursuing more traditional forms of regional leadership, Brazil uses ZOPACAS as part of a persuasion-based strategy based on regional multilateralism that is designed to compete with other international organizations and Western powers. However, this strategy also faces important limitations resulting from resource constraints, lack of institutionalization and an excessive exclusionary focus on minimising the role of global powers with interests in the region.

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South Atlantic,ZOPACAS,South-South relations,Brazil

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