António de Oliveira Salazar
Despite the authoritarian character of the regime, Portugal did not experience the same levels of international isolation as Spain did following World War II. Unlike Spain, Portugal under Salazar was accepted into the Marshall Plan (1947–1948) in return for the aid it gave to the Allies during the final stages of the war. Furthermore, also unlike Spain, it was one of the 12 founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1949, a reflection of Portugal's role as an ally against communism during the Cold War in spite of its status as the only non-democratic founder. In 1950, Portugal joined the European Payments Union and participated in the founding of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1961. It joined the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1962, and finally, Portugal signed a free trade agreement with the European Economic Community in 1972, still under the auspices of the "Estado Novo".
Brazil–Poland relations
During World War I, Brazil declared war on the Central powers. At the end of war, Brazil partook in the Treaty of Versailles which saw the creation of an independent Poland. Poland achieved its independence in 1918 and Brazil became the first nation in Latin America to recognize Poland on 17 August 1918. On 27 May 1920, both nations established diplomatic relations and diplomatic legations were opened in each nations capitals, respectively. At the start of World War II in September 1939; Brazil remained neutral even after the invasion of Poland by German troops. On 22 August 1942, Brazil declared war on Germany and Italy after the sinking of six Brazilian ships in the Atlantic Ocean by German U-boats. Both Brazilian and Polish troops fought alongside each other during the Italian Campaign. On 12 September 1945, Brazil recognized the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity. Soon afterwards, both nations re-opened diplomatic missions.