Obama accepts Lula's invitation to visit Brazil "as soon as possible"

[Judi Lynn]

Obama accepts Lula's invitation to visit Brazil "as soon as possible"


www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-13 09:52:20 Print

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. president-elect Barack Obama has accepted an invitation from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil to visit the Latin American nation "as soon as possible," reports said.

The Brazilian leader, who is currently on a four-day official visit to Italy, extended the invitation to Obama during a 15-minute telephone conversation Tuesday. Lula said the conversation went "very well," local media reported Wednesday.

The U.S. president-in-waiting acknowledged Brazil's efforts in fields such as economic growth, social programs and renewable energy.

He also expressed his pride at having been a student of Brazil's current Minister of Strategic Affairs, Roberto Mangabeira Unger, at Harvard University.

Obama praised Brazil's leadership among emerging countries, especially on issues related to the international financial crisis. Brazil's participation in discussions on the crisis is essential, and those discussions should not be restricted to the G8 group, he added.

Brazil is one of the fiercest defenders of reforms in several multilateral institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, in order to include emerging countries.

More:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/13/content_10351159.htm

[Bacchus39]

1. that seems like a safe bet

other than Mexico, I'd say Brazil would be the logical choice for a presidential visit. Iraq and Afganistan will likely be the first countries President Obama visits.

[Peace Patriot]

2. Let's hope Lulu can counter the malevolent Bushwhack slander against Chavez, Correa

and Morales, and its constant, nauseating repetition by the corpo/fascist 'news' monopolies, and by Democratic echoers, including Obama himself. Obama needs to launch an entirely new era of respectful cooperation with the overwhelming number of leftist and left-center governments in South America; or rather he needs to get the U.S. out of the way of this amazing, peaceful, democratic revolution, or it will inflict a critical foreign policy failure on Obama's administration. And with Hillary Clinton as Sec of State--the chief U.S. foreign policy officer--if that happens, the chances of U.S. policy going really bad are greatly enhanced. Hillary had that scumbag and paid agent of the hideous Colombian government, Mark Penn, as her chief campaign adviser, until he was found out and backbenched. That is her inclination--to reward the fascist murderers and drug traffickers running Colombia, who slaughter union leaders and others who get in their way, with a "free fire zone on union workers"...ahem, "free trade" deal. There are numerous thriving democracies on the continent, every one of which is some degree to alienation from the U.S., as a result of Bushwhack and prior Clinton policy. Even the president of U.S.-friendly Chile the other week told a joke to U.S. investors: "You know why there has never been a coup in the United States? Because there is no U.S. embassy in the United States."

She was no doubt referring to the recent Bushwhack sponsorship of fascist rioters and murderers in Bolivia--a conflict she was important in helping to resolve.

Lulu knows the score, and has been a staunch friend of the new leftist leaders. Of Chavez, he has said, "They can invent a lot of things to criticize Chavez, but not on democracy." The South Americans are sticking together. The long term plan is a South American "Common Market," USASUR, formalized this year, without the U.S. In its first major action, it gave unanimous backing and strong support to Evo Morales' government in Bolivia, in the face of a U.S.-Bush funded and supported fascist insurrection. (Chile's president Michele Batchelet called for and presided over the UNASUR meeting on that crisis.)

If Obama keeps up this arrogant line that Latin America needs "U.S. leadership," and continues to fund fascist coup attempts--as the Bushwhacks did in Venezuela, and, more recently, in Bolivia--and continues to arrogantly push the failed, corrupt, murderous U.S. "war on drugs" and the catastrophically failed "neoliberal" policies of the Clintons and the Bushwhacks, it will result in permanent alienation between the northern and southern halves of this hemisphere. We must--we MUST--learn to respect Latin American sovereignty, democracy and the rise of the poor and working class majority as a political force, at long last. The U.S. policies of the past toward Latin America must be abandoned, or Latin America will abandon the U.S.

And--caveat to Barack Obama--"divide and conquer" will NOT WORK. Obama is going to find that out when he meets with Lula da Silva. The South Americans aren't buying it anymore. Their interest is served by cooperating with each other, and having each other's backs, and is NOT served by U.S. corpo/fascist exploitation and militarization. Lulu knows this. They all know this. That's why they formed UNASUR.

[Bacchus39]

3. you don't sound very optimistic

I get the feeling while change has been made, some things will always be the same. I bet Obama's visit, when it happens, will be an atmosphere of celebration in Brazil. not that they much motivation to celebrate.

I am curious though if Obama would travel to Colombia during that visit as well.

[Peace Patriot]

4. Yes, I very much expect that Obama will be well received in Brazil, and I think he would be

almost everywhere. But Colombia is a very dicey situation, and some big things would likely need to be resolved before he would visit there. He has made some strong statements about the murders of union leaders. The security situation is also probably the most dangerous in South America, and would be especially risky if he is seen as being responsible for bringing the government and its death squads to account. I don't think he will go there unless he has caved on the "free trade" deal. And I'm 50/50 that he may cave. He has said that he approved the Peru "free trade" deal because it had labor and environmental protections. That looked good on paper, but hasn't worked out in reality, due in part to the corruption of Alan Garcia's government (which currently has a 20% approval rating, and much labor unrest). So is he going to be satisfied with the papering over of an even worse labor situation in Colombia? The Clintonite tenor of his administration, so far (it's early days yet) tells me that he may do that--settle for promises of reform--reform that will never come. And, in that case, he may go to Colombia.

However, it would surprise me if he can stomach that dreadful bunch for a celebratory visit. What about the mass graves? What about the on-going peril to union leaders, human rights workers, journalists, the poor? How can he avoid looking like a complete jerk? And I imagine that the Secret Service would be horrified at the prospect.

I'm sure he would be joyfully welcome in most countries. I would love to see him go to Venezuela, and have a heart to heart with Chavez. I think Obama would like his honesty. And I'm hoping that Lulu can pull this off somehow. But the most realistic scenario is probably that Lulu invite other leaders to Brazil, possibly for a high level meeting between Obama and all the countries in UNASUR (which includes Colombia). He really has to reckon with UNASUR. I don't think they will ask the U.S. to join--unless there is a really dramatic improvement in U.S. policy (and then, how can they be sure that it will last?). But a friendly meeting with all the leaders would be a good way for him to get a broad picture of the issues, and of course to meet them all personally. As you say, Brazil can put on a party.

[Bacchus39]

5. the security situation in Colombia versus Iraq and Afganistan

Pres Obama will be traveling to Iraq and Afganistan so the security situation in Colombia certainly won't be an issue comparitively. Bush and Clinton also went to Colombia so there is certainly ample recent precedent. and Colombia being a US ally would certainly be a destination that Obama should and would want to visit. The "labor situation" is an issue they could discuss I suppose.

I don't believe the FTA agreement will be the factor that determines whether or not Obama travels to Colombia. I think he will go. Its likely that the agreement won't be approved anyway.

On Venezuela, I find it extremely unlikely Obama would go. What are the issues that would be discussed? the US should buy even more of their oil? that the US is NOT going to invade Ven or assassinate Chavez? that was never going to happen anyway. It would be a complete waste of time.

the one thing I would agree with you on is that it could be a hemispheric summit meeting in Brazil. yet, I still believe a trip to Colombia is on the agenda.