In a column published this weekend in the French newspaper Le Monde, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva details his foreign policy strategy, signaling a change in environmental strategy, promising to “look” at the Amazon and attacking Jair Bolsonaro’s worldview.

According to the PT candidate, “Brazil will step onto the international stage to contribute to building a better world”. The tone of the country’s return to the world debate was like a repetition of Joe Biden’s slogan, which signaled the return of the United States to the international stage by winning the election against Donald Trump – “America Is Back“.

“Today, the climate emergency, rising inequality and geopolitical tensions reveal the severity of the crisis affecting our planet,” said Lula. “Unfortunately, Jair Bolsonaro continued to exacerbate this situation by enforcing climate revisionism, undermining the institutions of our democracy, and promoting intolerance. These traits of his government have made Brazil a new pariah on the international stage. This cannot continue.” .

Among his promises to the world, Lula states that he will “take strong initiatives to protect the environment, especially the Amazon, and to combat global poverty.”

“My government will also reposition our country at the heart of international investment so we can create jobs and get the economy working again for the benefit of the entire Brazilian people, not just a few,” he said.

According to him, he will mark his administration with the slogan of “reliability, predictability, stability” and how each of the international problems will be handled by his government. “My goal now is to do more and better. For that, Brazil needs to be involved once again in the big international debates,” he wrote.

We will develop a sovereign and active foreign policy. We will work for peace, dialogue and international cooperation,” he said.

The world is not flat and Amazon is in the center

In his column, Lula pointed out that one of the strategies would be for Brazil to focus on multilateralism and refocusing the climate as a pillar.

“We believe in a multipolar world, and unlike some members of the Bolsonaro government, we don’t believe the Earth is flat and there is no climate change. My government, together with other countries, is to rebuild the Amazon Fund so that we can take care of the Amazon rainforest and biodiversity,” he said.

Created with Germany and Norway, the Fund was distributed by Bolsonaro in 2019 and blocked R$3 billion that could be used to protect the forest.

It was also the Bolsonaro government’s refusal to engage in dialogue about the situation in the Amazon, and record deforestation data that prompted governments around the world to move away from Brazil. The deals were paralyzed and the country’s credibility was shaken.

Here are some highlights of Lula’s foreign policy, according to his column in the main French newspaper:

Strengthening Mercosur

According to him, one of Lula’s priorities will be to “strengthen Mercosur and restart regional integration”. “We don’t want Latin America to limit itself to the export of raw materials anymore. In this sense, we will work for the reindustrialization and technological progress of our countries,” he said.

USA – China Competition and the Lack of OECD

In another passage, Lula makes it clear that the relationship with Europe is necessary for it to serve as a counterweight to the world dominated by the US and China.

“Given the increasing competition between China and the US, we want to engage in dialogue with all of them and establish a strategic partnership with the European Union (EU),” he said.

But it also signals that it may seek a resumption of negotiations on a trade deal with Brussels, which was shut down by Bolsonaro in 2019 and far from the ambitions of Brazilian exporters.

“Improving the terms of the Mercosur-EU agreement will allow us to increase our trade, deepen our bonds of trust and strengthen the defense of our shared values.”

What caught the attention of foreign diplomats was the lack of any reference to Brazil’s process of joining the OECD. The issue was taken up as a priority by the Jair Bolsonaro government. But it’s not part of Lula’s recently published Letter, which provides information on his recommendations for a dozen industries.

return from africa

Lula emphasizes that another priority of his government is to “restore relations with the African continent. Brazil will be available to assist and expand political, economic and social cooperation with its countries.”

safety advice

What has remained unchanged in Lula’s diplomacy is Brazil’s ambition to negotiate the enlargement of the UN Security Council, which has been an eternal demand of almost all governments.

We believe in a multipolar world united around values ​​such as solidarity, cooperation, humanism and social justice, and we will work when we win. We believe in a new globalization as we face the challenges of the civilization we live in. It is an administration that must begin with the enlargement of the UN Security Council and the establishment of new forms of cooperation between countries,” he said.