Culture is a fundamental right. Protecting and supporting its production, with the greatest possible reach and diversity, are obligations of the Brazilian state. These obligations are stipulated as essential by the Brazilian constitution and are reflected in Brazil's international commitments. In the current scenario, public policies that foster and encourage culture are abandoned, witnessed in the deliberate weakening of institutions such as the National Film Agency (ANCINE), the Palmares Foundation, the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN) and Cinemateca. This forms an alarming scenario, with potentially disastrous consequences for the economic and socio-cultural development of the country.

Some questions that the panel seeks to answer are: How can we prevent this scenario from impacting Brazilian cultural production and dissolving the "soft power" capital accumulated over more than half a century of a very successful cultural diplomacy? To what extent does the loss of this capital impact the country's geopolitical pretensions? The wealth of nations in the 21st century is concentrated in intellectual capital. How can we accumulate and retain these assets?