As a rising international power, Brazil under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva outlined a comprehensive national defense plan aimed at controlling and defending national territory, extending its maritime reach, and developing cutting-edge defense technology. The plan calls for reorganization of the army, air and space capabilities to cover Brazil’s extensive territory (including the Amazon), and augmented maritime defense capabilities reportedly designed to project Brazil’s offshore oil deposits. Brazil’s original shopping list included a nuclear-powered submarine and as many as 36 advanced fighter aircraft. Proposals to update the Brazilian air …
On October 31, 2010, Brazilian voters elected that country’s first female president: Dilma Rouseff. Ms. Rouseff of the leftist Workers’ Party defeated her Center-Right rival Jose Serra by a margin of 56 percent to 44 percent of the votes cast. A former leftist guerilla turned technocrat, Ms. Rouseff was chief of staff to outgoing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Siva. This is her first elected post. Ms. Rouseff glided into presidential office on a crest of optimism generated by the policy successes and popularity of Lula, Brazil’s popular president. With …
Last week the Obama Administration released its National Security Strategy for 2010. The document waxed fulsome in praise of Brazil as an “emerging center of influence.” It welcomed “Brazil’s leadership” which promises “to move beyond dated North-South divisions to pursue progress on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.” Brazil’s decision, along with Turkey, to vote against new sanctions on Iran was certainly not the type of leadership the White House envisioned from Brazil. For months Brazil has stood, despite mounting evidence to the contrary, in support of Iran’s right to “a …
Iran announced today that it had reached an agreement with Turkey and Brazil to exchange some of its stockpile of low enriched uranium for more highly enriched uranium that can be used to fuel its research reactor in Tehran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the controversial deal in a three way press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Tehran. Under the proposed deal, Iran would send 1200 kilograms (2,646 pounds) of low enriched uranium to Turkey within a month in …
Brazil’s President Ignacio Lula da Silva will visit Tehran on May 15. International attention will focus on the visit because Iran has said it agrees “in principle” with working through Brazil and Turkey to broker a nuclear fuels exchange deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Despite this diplomatic camouflage, Iran’s central objective remains avoiding or watering down possible UN sanctions and sowing confusion among international players with a diplomacy of gestures and bluffs. It aims to buy more time at the expense of the U.S. and the West …
On the fourth leg of her Latin American trip, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Brazil’s President Lula da Silva He presides over a Brazil that is rising in confidence, economic power, and global influence but myopic in its treatment of Iran. The Secretary will have to make a strong pitch to convince President Lula da Silva to be wary of the budding Iran-Brazil connection which might produce sanctions-evading financial ties and cooperation to develop Iran’s nuclear potential. The Secretary’s message is: “with influence comes responsibility.” Thus far the …
On November 29 the people of Honduras decided on the man – Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo – to lead their nation for the next four years. Hondurans voted for a break from the past and an escape from the turmoil that has enmeshed their country since June 28 when Manuel Zelaya was removed from the presidency. On December 2, the national Congress – the body that voted for Zelaya’s removal – must decide on the future of its former president, now residing in asylum in the Brazilian embassy a few blocks …
Heritage’s Izzy Ortega issues his final report on yesterday’s election from Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital. More than 60% of all eligible voters made their voices heard loud and clear in electing former congressman Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo. A Bolivian member of parliament was also observing the election and nicely summed things up: “They tried to build a Berlin Wall and Honduras tore it down.” [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D34PFwmX74[/youtube]
When “good” President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and the “bad” President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez came to New York, both wooed the media. Newsweek declared Lula to be “the most popular politician on earth.” Chavez didn’t call Obama “the devil” and went mano a mano with Larry King. Lula’s Brazil is a continent of a country on the rise with a multi-party democracy; Chavez’s Venezuela sits on ocean of oil that fuels his one-party democracy. Both leaders aim for more clout on the global stage In the …
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, March 27, 2009: This is a crisis that was caused by white people with blue eyes. And before the crisis, they looked as if they knew everything about economics. Associate Press, April 2, 2009: During a lunch at the Group of 20 summit in London, Obama shook hands with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and said: “This is my man, right here. I love this guy.”
