Presidents Maduro and Lula, meeting at the Palau de Planalto, highlighted alternative development opportunities for the countries of the South. Author: AFP
Ten South American presidents and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meet on Tuesday in Brasilia at the invitation of the host president, as observers comment on the possible reactivation of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) following the departure of several right-wing governments. that they weakened her.
Expectations for a resurgence of the bloc, founded in 2008 and currently composed only of members from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela, were revealed after Lula and his Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez united their countries and expressed their desire to strengthen this integration arc.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira clarified that it would not be an Unasura summit, Telesur reported, while other diplomatic sources specified that one of the goals of the meeting is to restart high-level dialogue on the Americas of the South as a space of peace and cooperation.
The summit aims to encourage frank dialogue to identify common approaches and discuss prospects for exchange in areas such as health, climate change and defense, as well as fighting organized crime, infrastructure and energy.
The meeting is expected to have two sessions, ending with an initial statement and consisting of an “informal” dialogue between the leaders.
Apart from Fernandez, until the day before yesterday
The heads of state of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela have confirmed their presence, noted in the news, and announced that the only absence among the presidents of South America will be that of Peru, since Dina Boluarte will not be able to attend the meeting due to internal legal obstacles, so Alberto Otarola, President of the Council of Ministers, will take her place. French Guiana does not participate as it is a French overseas territory.
The meeting was preceded by a state visit by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro the day before, during which he held talks with Lula and expected to sign various agreements, after which the Bolivarian president will attend the summit on Tuesday.
Maduro’s visit to Brazil is
the first since the actual rupture of relations between his country and Brazil during the reign of former President Jair Bolsonaro and represents a kind of “seal” of the full restoration of diplomatic relations, which will be confirmed by wider and stronger relations.
At a press conference after the first meeting between them, Lula recalled the ties that existed between the two countries before Jair Bolsonaro came to power, as well as the collapse of economic and commercial relations that they had during the rule of the far-right politician. .
The Brazilian president also called for Venezuela to join the BRICS, a group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, to which 19 countries have said they will apply to join.
Lula also expressed his confidence that both countries will restore their trade relations, while strengthening their cultural, scientific and educational ties, as well as strengthening military security on the border.
As for the BRICS, Maduro indicated that Venezuela’s intention to become part of this association is connected with the goal of participating in the construction of a new international economic policy.
“The new geopolitics is characterized by two elements: the unity of our America in diversity and the role of the BRICS, which is becoming a great magnet for countries that want cooperation,” he said.
Source: Juventud Rebelde