The Financial Times departed from Lula’s speech at COP27 to highlight that he brings an “expansive vision for foreign policy”, with attention to the environment, multilateralism and regional integration. Interviews former chancellor Celso Amorim, who says that the new agenda “has already started”:
“There will be great emphasis on combating climate change, deepening integration with Latin America and renewing relations with Africa. Global governance reform will be part of this, as will good relations with the United States and good relations with the China.”
However, like what happened with the choice for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Washington or, more specifically, Janet Yellen’s Department of the Treasury, has also started to act.
Citing anonymous US officials, Reuters reports that the “US aims to impose sanctions on Brazilian deforesters” and even “gold miners”, resorting to the so-called Magnitsky global sanctions —which fall under Yellen’s purview and originally aimed “to punish those accused of corruption”.
According to the agency, “US authorities have already begun the process of investigating specific targets, with penalties ranging from visa blacklisting to Magnitsky sanctions.” It involves, in addition to the Treasury, the State Department.
“But there are still doubts about how Lula will see the plan, which is at an early stage,” says Reuters. “He believes that Washington helped Brazilian prosecutors arrest him on corruption charges, and he has repeatedly expressed irritation at the long arm of US law.”
RENMINBI, NOT DOLLAR
China has also started to act, via trade. In addition to releasing the import of corn, soy bran and even planes from Brazil in recent weeks, it was echoed by vehicles such as Jingji Ribao or Diário Econômico, from Beijing, that the Chinese currency, renminbi, began to be used by agro in the purchase of fertilizers from Russia.
And in China too, they are attentive to the pronouncements of the future president. The Guancha portal, from Shanghai, which last year did a long interview with Lula, then at the beginning of the campaign, translated it into Chinese and published at the top of the home page the speech in which he cried.
BACK TO SÃO PAULO
Amidst the goodwill towards Brazil in the news, The New York Times (reproduction above) recommends a weekend in São Paulo, with suggestions such as walking and eating pastel at Elevado João Goulart or Minhocão, “Big Worm”, and visit the reopened Museu do Ipiranga, with its “extremely critical view of the way history is traditionally taught” in the country.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
