There are two Lulas: one is the one who, in an articulate and profound speech, has proposed to his counterparts this Tuesday a concrete agenda for the development of South America. And another is the one who improvises, the one who approaches Nicolás Maduro without qualms and ends up frightening even those presidents who thought of giving the rebirth of Unasur, the Union of South American Nations, a chance.
The president of Brazil has convened a meeting of presidents in Brasilia, and no one snubbed him, practically everyone attended the meeting at the Itamaraty Palace, headquarters of the renowned Brazilian diplomacy. Only the Peruvian Dina Boluarte was missing, who did not obtain authorization from Parliament to travel abroad, but was represented by the head of the Council of Ministers.
Presidents such as the Uruguayan Luis Lacalle Pou, the Paraguayan Mario Abdo Benítez, the Ecuadorian Guillermo Lasso and Boluarte’s envoy himself are of the idea that a new organization is not necessary for the subcontinent to develop. Then came the joint press conference between Lula and Maduro and a fiery rant from the Brazilian president that changed the focus of the debate and astonished locals and strangers alike.
“Comrade Maduro. You know the narrative that was built against Venezuela: anti-democracy, authoritarianism. So, I believe that Venezuela must show its narrative so that people change their minds. There are people who don’t even know where Venezuela is, but you know that Venezuela has democracy problems. So you need to build your narrative. And I think, from everything we’ve talked to you about, that your narrative is going to be infinitely better than the narrative against you. It’s effectively inexplicable That a country suffers 900 sanctions because there is another country that does not like that country. Inexplicable!”
Lula ignored – he always does when referring to Venezuela – the violations of human rights, the dictatorial profile of Maduro and the exile of more than seven million Venezuelans. Criticism even came from sectors that have historically welcomed the governments of the Workers’ Party (PT).
“Lula’s astonishingly fawning rhetoric regarding Maduro – whose systematic repression and human rights abuses are well documented – is far more damaging to the international reputation of the Brazilian government than anything Lula has said or done thus far.” criticized Oliver Stuenkel, professor and researcher at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, with a progressive profile.
Hours before, a high source from the Itamaraty Palace had acknowledged to EL MUNDO that the resurrection of Unasur, founded in 2008 and strongly ideologized, would not be possible. In those years, Lula governed in Brazil, Cristina Kirchner in Argentina, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, Rafael Correa in Ecuador and Evo Morales in Bolivia, among others.
“There is no consensus. We will seek a forum for dialogue at the regional level,” admitted the senior official of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During a recent interview with EL MUNDO, Lacalle Pou said that he did not see the need to revive Unasur. This Tuesday, in the plenary session of presidents, he reaffirmed that idea: “I think we have to put an end to this tendency to create organizations. Let’s take action. President Boric, among others, raised specific points, such as in the case of catastrophes and other things. President Lasso did the same. It seems appropriate, President Lula, to go to the actions, review the actions. To resume the path that we have started in so many things and retrace the paths that were wrong, I believe that it is the right moment to do it”.
Lacalle Pou, who defines Venezuela as a dictatorship, did not evade the issue: “I was surprised when it was said that what happened in Venezuela is a narrative. The worst thing we can do is cover the sun with our hands.”
In the welcoming speech to the delegations, which he read without improvising, Lula was much more precise and less ideological.
“The combined GDP of our countries will reach four trillion dollars this year. Together we are the fifth largest economy in the world (…). We have the largest and most varied energy potential in the world, if we take into account oil and gas reserves, hydroelectricity, biofuels, nuclear, wind and solar energy and green hydrogen We are a large and diverse provider of food, we have more than a third of the world’s freshwater reserves and a rich and little-known biodiversity, our soil is rich and varied in minerals, we are a region of peace, without weapons of mass destruction, where disputes are resolved through diplomatic means”.
It has therefore proposed a series of specific agreements for the development of the region. The debate lasted until late in the afternoon in Brazil and would continue at a dinner, but the pro-Maduro rant the day before had already inevitably contaminated the spirits.
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