Before Lula’s trip to Cuba, a large delegation of Brazilian businessmen travels to the island to boost trade relations
Brazil and Cuba
Latin Press A delegation of about 30 Brazilian businessmen is on its way to Havana to strengthen trade relations with Cuba. The move represents the latest move by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government in its bid to revitalize bilateral relations. According to official sources cited by the media, this fourday trade mission comes just before Lula’s trip to the Caribbean island, where he will meet his Cuban counterpart Miguel DíazCanel and attend meetings of the Group of 77 plus China, a United economic summit Nations with developing countries, scheduled for September 15 and 16.
Exame magazine highlights that relations between Brazil and Cuba deteriorated during the term of ultraright former President Jair Bolsonaro (20192022), although they were never completely broken. Since taking office in January, Lula has been actively working to rebuild relations with Havana and Venezuela, including meeting with DíazCanel in Paris earlier this year during a global financial summit. This reopening generated great interest among business people who want to strengthen their trade relations, as highlighted by Jorge Viana, President of the Brazilian Agency for Export and Investment Promotion (APEX), and head of the delegation.
Viana said in a statement: “We have the opportunity to restore our trade relations after the previous Brazilian government left Cuba aside. “It makes no sense for Brazil to turn its back on the countries of Central America and the Caribbean, including Cuba.” According to APEX, Brazil is the fourth largest supplier of products to Cuba, after Spain, China and the United States. However, the volume of Brazil’s exports in 2022 was just over half of what was sent to the island a decade ago.
The delegation includes entrepreneurs from various sectors such as aviation, agriculture, energy and health. APEX emphasizes that sectors such as food, industrial machinery, transport equipment and chemical products offer the best export opportunities for Cuba. In addition, there is an expectation to create a commercial air route between São Paulo and Havana, according to the statement.
Celso Amorim, a former Brazilian foreign minister and head of special adviser to the presidency, visited Havana in August and said his visit was an explicit decision by Lula to symbolize his interest in strengthening political and commercial ties. Amorim confirmed the visit of Brazilian businessmen to Cuba, which will cover various topics, including agriculture. He also mentioned that experts from the Ministry of Health will travel to the Caribbean country, underlining the desire to bring Brazil and Cuba even closer together. The relationship, which has been very close in the past, is to be revived as part of this new initiative.
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