The Potenji River Conference

The Potenji River Conference, also known as the Natal Conference, was a meeting that occurred on January 28 and 29, 1943 between the President of Brazil, Getúlio Vargas and the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. On his way back from the Casablanca Conference the U.S. president paid a visit to the Brazilian president and inspected some of the military installations that were sending aircraft and equipment to the fronts in Africa and Asia. The visit also involved the discussion of the ongoing support and role of Brazil in the World War II. This Conference between the Presidents of both countries took place aboard a U.S. destroyer in the Potenji River harbor in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte and defined the agreements that led to the creation of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force.