Brazil and the idea of "Latin America" in historical perspective

This essay in the history of ideas and the history of international relations examines the origins of the concept "America Latina", and argues that neither Spanish American nor Brazilian intellectuals, and neither Spanish American nor Brazilian governments considered Brazil part of "America Latina" - which generally referred to Spanish America only - at least until the second half of the 20th century, when the United States, and the rest of the outside world, began to think of Brazil as an integral part of a region called "Latin America". Even now Brazilian governments and Brazilian intellectuals, except perhaps on the Left, had no deep engagement with Latin America.