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‘Lula’ in the US
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva arrived in Washington this Thursday, February 9, for his first visit to the country after his return to the presidency. He will meet his US counterpart Joe Biden on Friday. At the center of the conversations will be human rights, the extreme right, the economy and the climate crisis. The meeting could also lead to the launch of the first disbursement of money by the US for the Amazon protection fund.
The first visit of ‘Lula’ to the White House in his third term will officially begin this Friday, February 10. He will meet first with Senator Bernie Sanders, from the far left wing of the Democratic Party before meeting with other lawmakers from the ruling party and a group of unionists. Finally, he will be received at the White House by Joe Biden.
As stated a statement from the Brazilian government, the visit marks “the resumption of relations between the two countries, which in 2024 will celebrate 200 years of diplomacy.” The meeting will focus on political, commercial and environmental issues.
‘Lula’ traveled with the head of the Environment, Marina Silva; Treasury, Fernando Haddad; and Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, as well as the Vice Minister of Industry and Commerce, Marcio Elías Rosa.
In the economic sphere, they will seek to boost investment, the United States being Brazil’s second largest trading partner and the main destination for Brazilian exports of industrialized products.
According to the statement, “particular attention will also be paid to promoting the human rights agenda, in particular on issues such as the fight against global hunger and poverty, the rights of indigenous peoples and the fight against racism.” .
The question of the integration of the Brazilian diaspora in the US, which includes two million Brazilians, will also be discussed.
An issue that could also be addressed is the war in Ukraine, a point of disagreement between ‘Lula’ and Biden. Lula has not explicitly condemned the Russian invasion and has even suggested that Ukraine also bears “part of the responsibility” for the war. However, Washington assured that the matter will be treated with “respect” for the “sovereign” positions of Brazil.
Amazon Protection Fund
As reported by the Government of Brazil, at the center of the agenda is “the reactivation of Brazil’s commitment to environmental conservation and the search for a greater commitment from developed countries in fulfilling their financing commitments in the climate area .”
In fact, the United States could join a fund created in 2008 and aimed at combating deforestation in the Amazon in Brazil. The fund was initially created by Germany and Norway to support the protection of the rainforest. However, during Bolsonaro’s tenure, the fund had been abandoned, before being taken over by ‘Lula’.
‘Lula’ has promised to resume the fight against the climate crisis and seeks more countries to contribute to the project and particularly the United States. According to US officials, the Biden government is studying the possibility of participating in this $1.3 billion fund.
“The rich countries talk a lot about such a carbon credit but they never show up when it’s time to pay,” declared ‘Lula’ last week.
The Brazilian president also believes that his country can attract investment from the United States with the aim of developing renewable energy.
“Brazil is again an active player in the climate change talks and seeks the participation and financial commitment of other countries,” said Michel Arslanian, Secretary for the Americas at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Fight against the extreme right
According to the Brazilian statement, “two of the largest democracies in the world, Brazil and the United States, face similar challenges related to political radicalization and hate speech in the virtual space.”
One of the main points on ‘Lula’s’ agenda will be to talk about the attacks on democracy that both countries have experienced by extremist groups.
On January 6, 2021, a few days before Biden’s inauguration, the Donald Trump-backed far-right stormed the Capitol, looting parts of the building.
On the other hand, in Brazil, on January 8, supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the places of the three powers in the capital Brasilia, a few days after ‘Lula’ took power.
The meeting between the two current heads of state will allow the US to show its support for Brazil’s democratic institutions while Bolsonaro remains in the North American country since the end of his term.
With EFE and Reuters
