(CNN) -- After just over a century of amicable relations, Brazil has decided to cool its relationship with Iran. Gone are the days when Brazil's leader, President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva (2002-2010), worked hard to strengthen Brazil's partnership with Iran, defending Iranian interests, sharing and learning from similar policy experiences over cafezinho. At a time when Brazil has sought every opportunity to engage the international community and increase its influence as a mediator of conflict and peace, why has Brazil's new president, Dilma Rousseff, refrained from strengthening the government's ties with Iran? The answer lies in Rousseff's personal experiences and geopolitical ambitions.
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For a century, Brazil has had amicable relations with Iran, says Eduardo Gómez
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He says President Dilma Rousseff has taken steps to distance Brazil from Iran
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Rousseff, a torture victim, has raised concerns about human rights in Iran, he says
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Gómez: Brazil's actions could strengthen ties with U.S., further isolate Iran
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As someone who experienced human rights violations first hand under @placeholder's military dictatorships (1964-1985), Rousseff has been unwaveringly committed to human rights.
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Needless to say, these horrific experiences had an enduring imprint on @placeholder's foreign policy views.
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Indeed, when questioned about @placeholder during her campaign trail in 2009, the first two words to often come out of her mouth were "human" and "rights."
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The Iranian regime's atrocious history of killing thousands of dissidents, when combined with @placeholder court orders to have several people stoned to death for violating the law was viewed by Rousseff as "medieval behavior."