The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, begins its journey in Washington this Thursday to redirect the relationship with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, disturbed during the mandate of the far-right Jair Bolsonaro.
Just one month after taking up his third term as president, Lula, 77, will be received by Biden, 80, Friday afternoon at the White House.
“The highlight of this visit it is its political characterthe symbolic fact that occurs at the beginning of President Lula’s mandate,” said Michel Arslanian Neto, head of the Latin America and Caribbean department of the Brazilian foreign ministry.
“It’s an opportunity for both leaders a personal meetinga contact at the highest level which gives impetus to the relationship”, added Arslanian Neto, who foresees a “calendar of exchange of visits” to come.
scene objects
According to the White House, Biden and Lula will address “Unwavering US Support for Brazilian Democracy” and “common challenges” such as “climate change, food security, economic development, strengthening peace and security, and regional migration”.
Lula tries to “reaffirm the strategic collaboration“with the United States, “energize cooperation in key areas for both presidents: the environment and the defense of democracy,” explains Fernanda Magnotta, coordinator of international relations at the FAAP foundation, in São Paulo.
Brazilian democracy was shaken on January 8, a week after Lula took office, when more than 4,000 Bolsonarists rampant vandalized the buildings of the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court of Brasilia.
The assault on seats of public power in Brazil was reminiscent of the coup against the US Capitol two years ago by supporters of then US President Donald Trump, who refused to accept their electoral defeat.
It will be “a great theme of affinity” between Biden and Lula “the fight against the radicalization of the far rightrepresented by Bolsonarismo in Brazil and Trumpism in the United States, two sister movements,” Guilherme Casaroes, a political scientist at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, told AFP.
Former President Bolsonaro, who has been in Florida, United States since the end of December – a situation which, according to Brasilia, will not be the subject of the bilateral meeting – was one of the last to congratulate Biden on the victory. And he has maintained a frosty relationship with the president of the United States.
In previous years, his admiration for Trump has translated into complete alignment with Washington, and into emulating many of his methods of government.
Biden and Lula now have several issues in common, including the environment, “above all the preservation of the Amazon and the impact on climate change,” said Casaroes.
“It is an absolute priority” for Lula and “with a technically competent team, everything indicates that it will be able to align the Brazilian agenda with US expectations”, added the political scientist.
Under the Bolsonaro government (2019-2022) average annual deforestation increased by almost 60% in the largest tropical forest on the planet, vital in the fight against climate change. Lula has promised to eradicate this scourge by 2030.
“There is no alternative,” says Rubens Barbosa, former Brazilian ambassador to the United States.
“Lula will have to comply in terms of fight illegal activities in the Amazon, such as deforestation and gold mining.
Furthermore, during Lula’s visit “there will be plenty of room for dialogue” on an increase in bilateral trade and investment, Magnotta observes.
In terms of defense, they could face the technology transfer and scientific cooperation agreements.
“Brazil is very interested in expanding its access to the US defense market,” said Arslanian Neto.
The differences
Even if there are no differences.
Before the United Nations, Brazil condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but did not adopt economic sanctions against Moscow and will not send ammunition to Kiev.
Lula’s Brazil also intends to do so normalize relations with Venezuela.
And unlike the United States, it does not see China or Russia, its BRICS partners, as threats.
Furthermore, China it is Brazil’s main trading partner ($152.6 billion in 2022), well ahead of the United States, the second ($88.8 billion).
Latin America’s largest economy is “very dependent on Asia, especially China, for trade and investment,” Barbosa recalls.
So as you restore high-level relations with the US, this is expected to happen Lula recovers the “balanced” policy. of Brazil, to “maintain constructive relations with all countries, without automatically aligning with any power,” says Casaroes.
Overthrow Bolsonaro’s policy.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.