In an interview with the website Jovem Pan, the former Brazilian ambassador to Washington takes stock of the government’s first six months and says that Lula is right in his foreign policy bets but suffers from a lack of “strategic vision”.
EFE/EPO/MASSIMO PERCOSSI
The president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) came to power and focused on international politics. One of their main goals was to reposition Brazil in the world. Since taking office in January, he has made several international trips and met with more than 30 world leaders. As from the report of boy panHe was the president who has traveled the most since Brazil’s redemocratization. A survey conducted from January to May found that Lula spent 20 out of 150 days of his tenure outside Brazilian territory Total does not include recent trips to Japan, Italy and France. Until almost half of the year Lula has met more international leaders than members of Congress. The Petista obtained by defeating Jair Bolsonaro (PL), dubbed the ‘savior of democracy’ by the international press in the 2022 elections, was recently branded a ‘false friend of the West’ by a French newspaper. At the beginning of his third term, there were a few policies, such as: war in Ukrainethe agreement between European Union and Mercosurcommon currency with Argentina, “support” of dictatorships and rapprochement with Russia and China. In an interview with the website Jovem Pan, the former Ambassador of Brazil in Washington Rubens Barbosa said claims Lula has gotten off to a good start and got his three priorities right returning to the international stage, putting South America in the spotlight and focusing on the environment and climate change but believes there is a lack of strategic vision. Read the key excerpts from the interview below.
How do you assess the first six months of the Lula government?
“Lula has started well, the three priorities that he has set are correct: return to the international stage, South America as a priority and environment and climate change, it’s all perfect and he’s taken action for it, but that’s without a strategy.” Vision. Medium and longterm goals of the government in planning and implementing these policies. On the issue of bringing Brazil back to the world, he settled on the issue of war, and Brazil has no weight to influence Russia and Ukraine. In order for them to make peace, they are the ones who decide when the conflict will be suspended.”
In an interview with Jovem Pan in January, Barbosa had already stated that he did not believe in Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) proposal to set up a peace group. At the time, he said it was a “gesture by the PT party to influence and participate, as well as a way to fit into the international context.” However, he did not believe that this group would actually be formed which has not happened yet and that there could be consequences because “the US does not want it, Russia and Ukraine will not want it and China will make an independent peace proposal.” submit to this group”. The Chinese have put forward a proposal that has also not made any progress so far.
The President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, receives the President of the European Commission, German Ursula von der Leyen, during a meeting at the Planalto Palace WILTON JUNIOR/ESTADÃO CONTEÚDO
What do you think of the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union? Do you think it will be implemented by the end of the year?
“That is one of the main points. The novelty is the meeting with the Emmanuel Macron, President of France. The rhetorical novelty is that he tells Macron that the EU’s supplementary document, the protocol, poses a threat to countries that are strategic partners. And you can’t threaten partners. However, there are concerns about European restrictive measures against Brazilian products for environmental reasons. I think that rhetorical thing will be overcome and I think they can overcome it by signing by the end of the year.”
In a meeting with President Lula in Brasilia, the head of the European Commission said: Ursula von der Leyen expressed her interest in signing the MercosurEU agreement by the end of the year. “We are close to the finish line. I think it’s time to cross that line. President Lula and I are determined to complete the agreement as soon as possible. By the end of the year at the latest,” predicted the European representative, adding that the partnership “is more than an agreement, it is a platform for dialogue and longterm engagement”. The agreement has been discussed since 1999.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on April 14, 2023 in Beijing │KEN ISHII / POOL / AFP
There is a debate about whether Brazil is part of the West or the Global South. How does the world see Latin America, especially Brazil?
“Latin America is important for Brazil, but it is not important for the world. Russia and China are watching, but geopolitically it doesn’t matter, it’s on the periphery. It’s important for Brazil because it has to be the leader, it has to be the leader of the region. As for the Western world issue, I think the United States is opening up two complicated fronts with Russia and China. With the exception of about 40, 50 countries that follow the US and support its position, the other 150 do not. Brazil is among those who do not want to take sides on either side, it is in a position of active nonalignment. It’s not that he’s silent, it’s not that he doesn’t take sides either. For us Westerners, it just doesn’t matter. Brazil is a Western country, but today Brazil’s interests in Asia are very large and the other 150 countries are in the same situation. Of these, China is the main partner, so no one wants to quarrel with China over the US. Everyone defends their interests. And Brazil defends its interests by taking a stand. This is not neutrality, this is active noninterference, because Lula wants to make peace, we still do not impose sanctions on Russia, we have a clear and correct position on this geopolitical issue of dividing the world, as Americans want it.