Jonathan Wheatley, the FT’s Brazil correspondent, and Richard Lapper, the FT’s Latin America editor, recently spoke with Celso Amorim, Brazil’s foreign minister. Mr Wheatley also interviewed Dilma Rousseff, the president’s chief of staff, and Mr Lapper talked with Guido Mantega, Brazil’s finance minister.

FINANCIAL TIMES: What changes are taking place in relations in South America? Mercosur today seems much less cohesive that in the past and there seems to be a new axis developing from Argentina through Brazil and Bolivia to Venezuela.