G-7 2023, Brazil Acted as a Force Opposing Attempt of  Advanced capitalist Countries to Strengthen their Dominance By Giorgio Romano Brazil Defato, May 30, 2023

Meeting of world leaders in Hiroshima, Japan May 2023

 

Lula and his challenge to the G7

Brazil acted as a force opposing the attempt of the countries of advanced capitalism to strengthen their dominance

 Brazil acted in the G7 as a force opposing the attempt of the countries of advanced capitalism to strengthen their dominance over the world. Lula made it clear, for example, that the forum for debate should be the G20, where the countries of the global South participate on an equal footing – remembering that Brazil will be in the rotating presidency of the G20 from December of this year. For Lula, decisions should be taken in multilateral forums of the United Nations, in particular the Security Council. In this task, Lula found an ally in the UN Secretary General, Antonio Gutierrez, who made a similar speech.

For good understanding, Lula questioned the legitimacy of the G7 to position itself as "leader of the world" and verbalized a bet on "exclusionary alliances and false conflicts between civilizations", to the detriment of the international cooperation necessary to solve world problems such as environmental crises, food security, pandemics and peace. The president also questioned the sincerity of the G7, emphasizing, for example, that the promises to reform the financial architecture, assumed after the 2008 crisis, were abandoned to leave the real economy, of labor and income, at the mercy of the interests of the financial sectors. He made an emphatic case for putting the financial sector at the service of production. It should be noted that this should not only be understood as a message to the members of the G7, but also to the Brazilian plutocracy and its defenders in the Central Bank.

Lula also put his finger on the wound by questioning the abandonment of the victims of multiple wars and violence, such as Yemen, Palestine, Syria and, implicitly, the absolute priority of the war in Ukraine. He also questioned the difficulty of the G7 countries to meet their commitments to provide financial aid to poor countries and combat the climate crisis.

Lula stressed that it was necessary to speak implicitly, between the lines and in non-verbal gestures. The impression, however, is that the G7 leaders were no longer focused on their own agenda and turned a deaf ear while public opinion in the G7 countries is called to outrage, at Lula's alleged unwillingness to meet with Zelensky. All the G7 leaders like Lula, recognize his leadership and charisma, like to be in the picture with the president, but expect him to limit himself to the agenda that also interests them.

It is also worth mentioning the importance of the bilateral meeting with Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan and host responsible for the invitation to non-member countries of the G7. It is worth emphasizing that Brazil is the country with the largest Japanese community outside Asia and that Japan is a country with the potential to influence the dynamics of the rivalry between China and the US in the Indopacific.

All this only reinforces the challenge of Brazil's presidency of the G20, an opportunity to deepen its positions in articulation with the other countries of the Global South.

* Giorgio Romano Schutte, professor of International Relations and Economics at the Federal University of ABC and member of the Observatory of Foreign Policy and International Insertion of Brazil (OPEB)

** This is an opinion piece. The author's view does not necessarily express the editorial line of the newspaper Brasil de Fato.

Editing: Sarah Fernandes

Lula and his challenge to the G7 | Opinion (brasildefato.com.br)

***

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Brazil's Lula proposes South American currency

Story by Deutsche Welle • 

May 30, 2023

Heads of state from 12 South American countries have gathered in the Brazilian capital to discuss regional integration. The summit is an attempt to revive the Unasur bloc now that the region has more left-wing leaders.Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has proposed creating a regional trade currency for South America at a summit of regional leaders in Brasilia.

Lula urged state banks across the continent to work together to reduce dependence on "extra-regional currencies" for trade, without mentioning the US dollar by name.

Amid a renewed left-wing tide in the region, the Brazilian leader organized the South America Summit to help revive the Unasur bloc, which had largely become defunct after it was shunned by right-wing leaders in recent years.

"As long as we're not united, we won't make South America a developed continent in all its potential," Lula said.

South American leaders call for unity

The summit was attended by 12 South American leaders in an attempt to foster closer integration between neighbors.

"Latin America must play a united role and have a united voice," Colombian President Gustavo Petro told journalists as he arrived at the gathering.

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The only South American head of state not to attend was Dina Boluarte of Peru, who is unable to leave the country as she faces criminal charges.

Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Otarola attended in her absence.

Venezuela welcomed back into the fold

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was also in attendance, after years of isolation by right-wing leaders like Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, who labeled the socialist leader a "dictator."

Lula criticized US sanctions against Venezuela and said claims that its government is authoritarian are a "narrative" pushed by Western countries.

He said it is up to Maduro to "make Venezuela a sovereign country once again. And our opponents will have to apologize for the damage they've done."

Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez also expressed support for Venezuela to return to international bodies.

Chile's Gabriel Boric said he disagreed with some of Lula's remarks on Venezuela, adding that the region needs to respect human rights. However, he nevertheless welcomed the resumption of multilateral talks involving Maduro.

zc/nm (AP, Reuters, dpa)

Brazil's Lula proposes South American currency (msn.com)