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Rev. Bras. Polít. Int., 63(1): e004, 2020 Caterina Soviet endorsement to the Brazilian domestic status quo with the PCB in illegality and too weak to assume a leading role on the left political spectrum, despite its influence on key unions.

Even though the perception of the USSR in Brazil was still significantly negative when compared to the United States, Rupprecht (2011) correctly argues that there was an important interest in certain aspects of the Soviet Union coming from “crucial sectors” of Brazilian society (Rupprecht 2011, 515). An important part of the political elite, technical, and administrative bureaucracy were the main groups. For them, the country’s backwardness and underdevelopment could be overcome by scientific and technical progress.

Important evidence about this change in perception of the USSR in Brazil can be measured by the reactions to the awards given by Quadros to Gagarin and Guevara (Cuba’s minister of Industry) just eighteen days apart. The respectful reception given by Moss and the Santos Dumont quotation when presenting the title did not cause any reaction from domestic anti-communist groups, unlike the Guevara episode, in which the Minister of the Army, Odílio Denys, warned the president about unfavourable repercussions within the Force (Caterina 2019). Ironically, after Quadros’ resignation on August 25th, Denys, Moss and Heck (Navy Minister) released a “Manifesto à Nação” vetoing Labour vice-president Goulart’s return to power – after his Asian tour – questioning his ‘ideological tendencies’ and his ‘unbridled admiration’ for the Soviet and Chinese regimes.

Brazilian conservatives were the only ones allowed to publicly acknowledge Soviet scientific feats. The staunchly anti-Communist Lacerda would welcome the scientific progresses of the USSR at the opening of the Soviet Exhibition in 1962, but would prohibit a Solidarity Congress for Cuba the following year (Caterina 2019).

The Soviet space program continued to be presented as the “success story” of the superpower modernity in the subsequent years. In March 1963, President Goulart welcomed cosmonauts Nikolayev and Popovich to Brazil (Rupprecht 2015, 42-43). Even after the military took power in Brazil, President Castello Branco sent a message to Mikoyan congratulating the Soviets for Leonov’s first ever spacewalk in 1965.

Conclusion

There is an important link between the Soviet space program and the international representation of the socialist superpower after Stalin’s death, as a technologically advanced country capable of great scientific achievements. Gagarin’s flight in April 1961 was the highlight of this new self-representation effort. This new Soviet representation was a good match within the thinking Gagarin in Brazil: reassessing the terms of the Cold War domestic political debate in 1961 12