H.E. Fernando Simas Magalhães, Ambassador of Brazil to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, addresses guests during the celebration of Brazil’s 204th Independence Anniversary and 200 years of Brazil–Netherlands diplomatic relations.

Brazil’s 204th Independence Anniversary marked a bicentenary of friendship, exchange and an expanding bilateral agenda.

Brazil’s 204th Independence Anniversary was celebrated in the Netherlands this year with two particularly significant milestones: the bicentenary of diplomatic relations between Brazil and the Netherlands and the entry into force of the MERCOSUR-European Union agreement.

Addressing guests at the National Day reception, Ambassador Fernando Simas Magalhães reflected on two centuries of relations that have grown far beyond formal diplomacy, encompassing culture, science, trade, innovation, sustainability and strong people-to-people connections. He noted that 2026 represents both an opportunity to look back at a rich shared history and the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral relations.

“Almost every Dutch generation has its own vision of Brazil,” the Ambassador observed, recalling how Brazil has entered Dutch life through football, music, cinema and the Amazon. Brazilians, in turn, often encounter the Netherlands through its art, traditions and the many connections between the two countries’ histories. Football provided one particularly vivid example, with the Ambassador recalling the admiration in Brazil for the Dutch “total football” of the 1970s and Pelé’s praise for Johan Cruyff.

The speech also highlighted the human dimension of the relationship. After the Second World War, Dutch immigration contributed to the creation of communities such as Holambra in São Paulo, whose very name combines “Holanda” and “Brasil”. Today, cooperation extends across renewable energy, agriculture, food security, scientific research, defence, technology and culture. Upcoming initiatives such as the scientific delegation coming to the Netherlands for the FAPESP Week (the state of São Paulo research foundation) were cited as examples of the continuing expansion of scientific ties.

Culture occupied a prominent place in the celebration, with references to Brazilian cinema and its longstanding connections with Dutch institutions, while the ceremony itself illustrated this cultural dialogue through music. The Dutch national anthem was performed by Femke Smit, while Brazilian soprano Carla Maffioletti performed the Brazilian anthem, both accompanied by Roda da Holanda.

Guusje Korthals Altes, Deputy Director-General for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, delivered the evening’s keynote address, underscoring the importance attached by both governments to the bicentennial celebrations.

Looking ahead, Ambassador Simas Magalhães highlighted the new opportunities created by the MERCOSUR–European Union agreement and the growing importance of sustainability in the bilateral agenda, including cooperation on renewable energy, low-carbon agriculture, forest protection and initiatives such as the Tropical Forest Forever Fund.

The evening ultimately celebrated a partnership that continues to reinvent itself. As the Ambassador concluded, the occasion was a toast to “two hundred years behind us” and to a future of fruitful partnership between Brazil and the Netherlands.