by John Fitzpatrick

If President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thought he would achieve much by hosting the first Latin American-Arab summit then he was wrong. Why such a high-profile meeting, involving 34 countries and held in Brasilia from May 9 to 11, was necessary is uncertain, since the two regions have little in common. Most of the countries which attended were poor, undeveloped and unstable and the most influential, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, did not send their presidents. A couple of Latin American presidents even kept away and Argentina´s mercurial Nestor Kirchner walked out half-way through and went home.

Every observer knew that the summit would be hijacked from Latin American-Arab relations to events in the Middle East. However, Lula and his advisers paid no attention to these warnings. By going along with a final declaration that made no mention of democracy and was ambiguous about terrorism Lula, upset many Brazilians. The so-called Brasilia Declaration called on Israel to remove its forces from the occupied territories and close down its settlements and, while emphasizing the importance of combating terrorism in all forms, reaffirmed the rights of states and peoples to resist foreign occupation. It also expressed its concern at American sanctions against Syria and, as a gift to the absent Kirchner, called for the UK and Argentina to reach an agreement over the Falkland Islands. (Presumably if the Argentineans invade again, the Falkland Islanders will have Brazil´s blessing if they resist this foreign occupation.)

By supporting this declaration, Lula was giving his blessing to attacks by Palestinians against Israel and by Iraqi and foreign Moslem extremists against America. Perhaps he forgot that the thousands who have been murdered by terrorists in Iraq include the head of the United Nations office in Baghdad, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was a Brazilian. Another Brazilian victim is an engineer who was kidnapped about four months ago. The engineer was kidnapped shortly after Lula visited several Arab countries. On hearing the news, Lula said he would be in touch with a leader whom he did not identify but was believed to be Syria´s President Assad. Lula gave the impression that his influence was so great in the Middle East that this contact would resolve the affair in no time. In any case, Lula´s contact led nowhere, as have attempts by Brazil´s diplomatic staff and representatives of Brazil´s Moslem community. Nor was there any breakthrough in Brasilia. Not a single representative of any of these countries, which included Iraq and all its neighbors, could bring news about the engineer´s fate.

Lula had the gall to claim that the omission of support for democracy was actually a “democratic” decision since many participant countries had different definitions  of democracy and terrorism. The summit may have pleased the Arabs but it upset Israel and the US which, incidentally, was refused observer status at the meeting. Brazil´s Jewish organizations made their displeasure felt. The Jewish community here is tiny, estimated at about 0.2%, but is influential. This influence was seen in the way a statement by the Israelite Confederation of Brazil and other Jewish bodies was published prominently and in full by newspapers like the Estado de São Paulo. 

The summit came only two weeks after Lula held a brief meeting with the US secretary of state, Condoleeza Rice. Unlike her predecessor, Colin Powell, who only came here a flying visit last year near the end of his term, Rice wasted little time in coming. This was heartening, as is the news that President George Bush is expected to visit towards the end of the year. Let us hope this summit will lead to a breakthrough over the over the proposed Free Trade Area of the America (FTAA).

Lula admitted recently that the FTAA had not been on his agenda for two years. If so, it is ironic that he should organize a meeting to try and boost trade with the Arab world. What kind of president would choose this path when there is a chance of creating a free trade area involving the whole of South, Central and North America and the Caribbean? Brazil would be the natural leader of the Latin American side in this arrangement and could play an influential role in setting up and running the FTAA but apparently not under this president.

Lula would rather take the easy way, out by traveling around poverty-stricken countries in Africa and the Middle East and congratulating himself for doing so, than take on the challenge of forging an agreement that could bring the genuine economic and social development Brazil so desperately needs.

May 12, 2005

(c) John Fitzpatrick 2005