2023-09-20 21:00:00
“It is necessary make hope overcome fearand this gesture that we are making here is an awakening of hope for millions and millions of Brazilians and Americans who need to have the opportunity.” Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva recovered the slogan of his 2002 electoral campaign to comment on the meeting with his colleague from the United States, Joe Biden, with whom he launched a global initiative in defense of labor rights. The conversation, in parallel to the UN General Assembly, allowed not only a bilateral rapprochement, called into question as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As commented in Brazil, the Venezuelan issue was not excluded from a meeting especially held by Lula.
The launch of the Global Coalition for Labor has driven this approach. “Poverty and inequality do not interest anyone. And I think that what we are doing here, in the heart of the United States, is trying to awaken hope,” said the Brazilian president. Lula recalled his condition as a worker in the heart of São Paulo. “I lived in a factory for 27 years. I lived unemployment, I lived the world of strikes. In fact, my Minister of Labor went to visit American unionists who are striking in the automobile industryl. “I think it’s a golden opportunity for us.” In that sense, he stressed that the initiative could open a possibility for the creation of “a new world.” The objective of cooperation is to include other countries.
The two presidents had agreed on the terms of this initiative in August. “This is the first time I have dealt with a president interested in workers“said Lula after that telephone conversation. Biden, who defines himself as the most pro-union president in North American history, and who has these organizations as one of the pillars of his re-election attempt in 2024, thanked Lula for his presence in the United States. He in turn highlighted the scope of a project that, it was noted, aims to address the new challenges faced by the labor movement based on technological changes and the need to advance in the so-called green economy. What is also sought is the reduction of worker exploitation, including issues such as forced labor, child labor, and workplace discrimination that affects women, LGBTQI+ people, and various racial and ethnic groups.
The Workers’ Party Government immediately made it known that this agreement with Biden will not represent greater alignment with Washington to the detriment of the relations maintained with China. Lula also highlighted the rapprochement between Brasilia and Washington can also be deepened through blocks such as the Brics and the G-20. The shared photo of the two presidents was especially anticipated in Brazil.
Harmonies and discrepancies
Brazilian analysts usually detect a common point between Biden and Lula: to gain the presidency they had to defeat far-right populists such as Donald Trump y Jair Bolsonaro. Since Lula’s third presidential term began, Biden has built a relationship based on a common agenda between the two countries.
The ties between both countries went through certain short circuits months ago. The São Paulo newspaper state attributes it to Lula’s statements about the war in Ukraine and the role played by the United States in the conflict. During his trip to China last April, Lula had criticized the US and the EU for supplying weapons to kyiv. The US authorities claimed to be “disappointed” and even “surprised #. In parallel, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, had landed in Brasilia, where he extolled the”alignment“between Moscow and the South American giant. The White House at the time asked the PT Government for explanations.
“The noise about Ukraine has dissipated“said the Brazilian ambassador in Washington, Maria Luiza Viotti. “There is an understanding that Brazil will not always agree, it will have an identity of positions with the United States and that is normal in a relationship between two sovereign countries, with their own interests.” The speeches of both leaders in the General Assembly were convergent on issues such as the defense of democracy, the environment and concern about climate change. However, the war in Ukraine found them with different words. Biden was emphatic in defense of the attacked country, while Lula insisted State, “was more vague” in his comments.
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