Five nations recognise Palestine

Santiago, Chile: Five South American nations have recognised Palestinian statehood in recent weeks, and several more are expected to do so soon.

Brazil began the trend on December 3, then put trade with Arab nations squarely on the regional agenda when it hosted last month's summit of the Mercosur economic bloc.

Funding diplomacy

But while the Palestinians have deep-pocketed supporters among Arab states, they alone can't hope to fund the kind of check book diplomacy that China and Taiwan have employed for years in the world's smaller countries to forge alliances.

And while securing foreign investment is a top priority for South America's leaders, they also have other reasons for following Brazil's lead.