A great-power fleet could bankrupt a smaller navy

What would happen if Brazil suddenly received a navy equivalent to a major December 1941 fleet in 1936?

Brazil would struggle to operate it, face bankruptcy, and probably have to sell much of the fleet.

A large fleet would leave Brazil with operating bills its 1936 position could not readily support. Possession of the ships would not by itself give the country a practical way to use them in regional affairs. The likely response in this scenario would be to sell much of the fleet. Its strategic effect would then depend on the purchaser. Another power could even buy ships chiefly to prevent a rival from acquiring them.