AURELA (Autonomy and Multilateral Reconfigurations: EU–Latin America Relations) is a four-year research partnership funded by the CAPES–COFECUB programme and developed by a consortium of universities from Brazil and France.
 

The project examines the future of relations between the European Union and Latin America in an era marked by geopolitical tensions, growing uncertainty, and profound transformations in the international order. As global powers intensify competition and challenge existing forms of cooperation, security, and trade, both regions have increasingly embraced the notion of strategic autonomy as a response to an unpredictable international environment. Originally rooted in Latin American centre–periphery theories and later adopted by European policymakers, autonomy has emerged as a key concept for understanding the role of middle powers in contemporary international politics.
 

Approved under CAPES–COFECUB Call for Proposals 9/2025, the project brings together researchers from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Université de Tours, Sciences Po, Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and Université Clermont Auvergne. Between 2026 and 2029, AURELA will promote research, international mobility, training, and knowledge exchange to contribute to a deeper understanding of contemporary global challenges and the evolving role of Europe and Latin America in shaping international cooperation in the twenty-first century.