President Alberto Fernández affirmed that from the assumption of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the Presidency of Brazil “everything will be easier” in the bilateral relationship, emphasizing that the two leaders share the same perspective on “Latin American unity” and the strengthening of regional integration processes.
In an interview published this Tuesday by the Brazilian newspaper O Globo, Fernández analyzed that his Brazilian counterpart “has a much more realistic look at the world and Brazil today” than the one that Jair Bolsonaro had, the outgoing president, who chose to maintain a distant link with Argentina and part of the region.
The interview took place in the context of the assumption of Lula to the Presidency of Brazil which took place on Sunday and to which attended by the argentinian presidentwho also held a bilateral meeting with the new ruler of the neighboring country.
“In the four years of Bolsonaro I took care that the link between Brazil and Argentina deteriorated as little as possible. It was a relationship that really deteriorated due to Bolsonaro’s attitude, which was defiant, mistreated, aggressive,” Fernández described.
The Argentine president assured in this sense that he “always” tried to keep quiet “to preserve” the link” with Brazil with the purpose of “not deteriorating it further.”
When asked about what will change in the relationship between Argentina and Brazil with the arrival of Lula to the Presidency, the president He responded that essentially in the “look” that the administrations of Buenos Aires and Brasilia have of the world.
“I have talked a lot with Lula in recent times. The perception I had of his inauguration speech is that he has a much more realistic look at the world and Brazil. He has similar values about the need to face the challenge of achieving greater justice The most important thing is that we believe in Latin American unity and in the idea of reinforcing the region as an economic and development hub,” Fernández said.
Therefore, the President considered that with Lula “everything will be easier” and highlighted that Brazil “has the largest GDP in South America.”
Regional policies and with the European Union
He also evaluated that with Lula, the neighboring nation will return to the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and in international forums such as the G20 “it will recover the place it should have”.
Fernandez spoke also in favor of “strengthening Mercosur with better instruments” and to give the regional bloc “an institutional modernization”, as demanded by the president of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou.
Fernández analyzed that the “effort of the European Union (EU) to have an agreement with Mercosur shows just that” and advocated “strengthening the region because that way we will be much stronger”, while emphasizing that “Lula says that in his speech “.
Parallel, He warned that he wants an “agreement with the EU, but in the signed agreement the asymmetries are very large.”
“I think we have to improve our link with Europe and we have an opportunity. But I want a fairer agreement. As it is today it is unfeasible and not because of a decision by Brazil or Argentina. It is impractical because France does not want to end agricultural subsidies” , he pointed.
The war in Ukraine, also on the agenda
Also, in another respect, indicated that “this war in Ukraine has a great impact on our countries, on inflation, on food prices, on energy, and it is a problem.
On this point, he analyzed that the “southern hemisphere is very affected” and asserted that since the pro tempore presidency of Celac he tried to get Latin America “to be very present in the discussion about the war” between Ukraine and Russia.
“I was at the G7 meeting, we also spoke at the G20 meeting. Our position is that while the North fires missiles, the South goes hungry. The Southern hemisphere must react and be heard,” he recalled.
On the other hand, Asked about the situation in Venezuela, he stated: “We are very concerned about what is happening in the country. We all see the immigration of Venezuelans to our countries. What the government of Joe Biden, president of the United States, said to the Europeans is that the blockade is unforgivable because it punishes to the people”.
Fernández opined that the “solution was not the military invasion that ex-president Donald Trump advocated, the solution is for Venezuelans to negotiate, dialogue.”
The president explained that Argentina is “part of the contact group, led by Norway” and “we voted at the UN against a report against Venezuela prepared by Michelle Bachelet,” exalted UN commissioner for human rights.
