Lula wants Brazil to strengthen its presence in Africa
Sunday 27 August 2023 – 21:03 UTC
“We will fund African countries again,” Lula promised
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Saturday that the South American country plans to open a consulate general in Luanda, Angola’s capital, Agencia Brasil reported.
Lula recalled that Angola is already home to the largest Brazilian community (around 30,000 people) on the African continent. “That’s why I asked Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira to study the opening of a consulate general in Luanda, which would be the first in a Portuguese-speaking country in Africa,” he said at the inauguration of the Ovídio de Galerie Melo at the Rosa Institute Guimarães.
“In Brazil-Angola relations, we must have big and big dreams,” he continued, quoting Angolan writer Pepetela, before concluding his visit and heading to São Tomé and Príncipe for the Summit of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP). made. .
Lula also reiterated on Friday that Brazil will make major investments in the African continent during an appearance with Angolan President João Lourenço at the conclusion of an economic forum hosted by the Brazil-Angola Chamber of Commerce, attended by investors from both countries.
“Now we are returning to Africa to tell Brazilian and Angolan businessmen that we really have returned. “We’re going to fund African countries again, Angola, which is a good payer for the things that Brazil has invested here,” Lula said.
“Brazil’s return to the African continent should not be a return because we should never have left the African continent. Brazil has no idea how many things we can do. I believe that Africa offers Brazil the opportunities that Brazil sometimes looks for elsewhere,” added the President.
Last Friday, in a message to Angola’s National Assembly, Lula announced a partnership to help develop agriculture in that country.
For his part, Lourenço called on Brazilian businessmen to “invest in Angola without fear”.
“We have a particular interest in Brazilian investors investing in the agribusiness, the tanning industry [cuero]the automotive industry, the manufacture of tractor attachments, fertilizers, the manufacture of solar panels, the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of medicines and vaccines, the woodworking industry, tourism, the real estate sector and any other industry that is of interest to you,” added he added.
Angola is the only country on the continent, along with South Africa, with which Brazil has a strategic partnership that dates back to 2010, during Lula’s second term as president.
Lula also called for reform of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Saturday because “the 2023 UN has nowhere near the credibility that the 1945 UN had when it was founded,” he said.
“The Security Council, which should ensure the security of peace and tranquility, is the one that wages war without speaking to anyone. Russia invades Ukraine without discussing it in the Security Council. The United States will invade Iraq without discussing it in the Security Council. France and Britain will invade Libya without consulting the Security Council. In other words, the countries in the Security Council are those that make war, produce arms, and sell arms. “It’s wrong,” Lula also said.
“What representation does Africa have in the Security Council? What is the representation of Asia, Latin America? We have made it clear that we are in favor of Brazil joining the Security Council along with India, Germany and Japan. There are differences, but they are not ours,” he continued.
“In 1948 the United Nations succeeded in founding the State of Israel. In 2023, it cannot impose the reserved area on the Palestinians. It has gotten weaker. And the climate issue is even worse. On all COPs [Conferencias de las Partes] We decide many things, but none are fulfilled. Why isn’t it fulfilled? Because there is no sovereign state. The UN has no authority to say: ‘We must comply, otherwise there will be certain measures,'” he argued.
Lula also questioned the mechanism by which African countries pay off their debts to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “We have to start a new fight,” he told the fund of the continent’s $760 billion debt.
“These debts are becoming unpayable because the budget can never be repaid and the problem is getting worse. What’s the logic? It is about raising awareness among the owners of this debt so that they convert it into infrastructure aid. The money from the debt would not be repaid but would be invested in infrastructure work,” he suggested.
“I think it will be impossible to cancel the $760 billion debt, but it can be extended until these countries can pay,” the South American leader said. (Source: Agência Brasil)