President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva left today (9) for the United States where he will meet with the US president, Joe Biden, in Washington. The meeting will take place tomorrow (10) afternoon, at the White House, and according to the Presidency, marks the resumption of relations between the two countries, which in 2024 will complete 200 years of diplomacy. Geraldo Alckmin assumes the Presidency of the Republic in the absence of the incumbent.
Before that, meetings between the Brazilian president and Senator Bernie Sanders, with representatives of the Democratic party and with representatives of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) are also planned.
“We want to build relationships of partnership and growth between our countries, for the development of our region, to discuss actions for peace in the world and against fake news”, wrote Lula in a publication on social networks.
Good morning. Today I am leaving for the USA, where I will meet with the president @POTUS at the White House. We want to build relationships of partnership and growth between our countries, for the development of our region, to discuss actions for peace in the world and against fake news.
— Lula (@LulaOficial) February 9, 2023
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agenda for the meeting with Biden will have three central themes: democracy, human rights and the environment. The two presidents are expected to discuss how the two countries can continue to work together to promote inclusion and democratic values in the region and the world.
Lula and Biden were elected and assumed their mandates in similar contexts, denouncing alleged electoral fraud and in the midst of coup attempts. Just like the invasions and depredations of the headquarters of the Three Powers, on January 8, the Capitol, seat of the United States Legislature, was attacked in January 2021 by radicals dissatisfied with the electoral defeat of former President Donald Trump.
When speaking, this Tuesday (7), about the preparations for the president’s trip, the secretary for the Americas at the Itamaraty, ambassador Michel Arslanian Neto, recalled that Lula recently spoke with Biden, by telephone, on two occasions. The first, when he was declared the winner of the presidential elections in October of last year, and the second, on January 9, the day after the coup acts in Brasília.
“The two countries are experiencing similar challenges, a common concern with the issue of radicalization, political violence, with the issue of the use of networks [sociais] for spreading misinformation and hate speech. So, with the world’s two main democracies coming together at their highest level, it will be a unique opportunity for them to send a message of strong support for political processes, without resorting to extremism, violence and with the proper use of social networks”, highlighted the ambassador.
central guidelines
In the area of the environment and climate change, Brazil intends to present itself as an active actor committed to its obligations to reactivate environmental protection instruments, but also intends to seek engagement from the countries involved, to fulfill its obligations in terms of financing in climatic area.
On the agenda related to human rights, topics such as the fight against hunger and poverty on a global scale, the rights of indigenous peoples and the fight against racism, in addition to the integration of the two million Brazilians living in the United States – greater Brazilian community abroad.
The secretary of the US Department of the Interior, Deb Haaland, was the leader of the US delegation at Lula’s inauguration, on behalf of President Joe Biden. Haaland is responsible for indigenous peoples’ policies in her country, and when she was in Brasilia, she met the president of Funai, Joenia Wapichana.
In the economic sphere, the Brazilian government seeks to boost investments, particularly in energy transition and clean energy generation, and greater integration of production chains. Both leaders will also talk about the main issues on the international agenda, such as peace and security and governance in the G-20.
The United States is Brazil’s second largest trading partner and the main destination for exports of industrialized products. Last year, the total exchange between the two countries was around US$ 88.7 billion, unprecedented value in the historical series. Furthermore, it is the country with the largest stock of investments in Brazil, estimated at US$ 123 billion.
International relations
President Lula’s trip is at the invitation of President Joe Biden. He will be staying at Blair House, the official residence where the President of the United States receives the most important guests.
The delegation includes the first lady Janja Lula da Silva and the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira; from the Farm, Fernando Haddad; for the Environment, Marina Silva; and Racial Equality, Anielle Franco. Also accompanying the president are the executive secretary of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Márcio Elias Rosa; the leader of the government in the Senate, Jacques Wagner; and the chief advisor of the Special Advisory Office of the Presidency of the Republic, Ambassador Celso Amorim.
The return to Brazil is scheduled for Saturday (11).
The United States is the third country visited by Lula since he took office. In January, he was in Argentina and Uruguay, where he discussed the bilateral relations between the countries, the integration of Latin America and the strengthening of Mercosur, the economic bloc made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Trips to China and Portugal are also planned in the coming months. Lula also received an invitation from the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, to visit the country.
