The Americanistas

Lula in Mozambique in 2003 (Agencia Brasil)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva was called the most popular politician on earth by U.S. President Barack Obama, who also has asked him to be the White House’s main intermediary in Latin America. In Brazil, Lula has approval ratings that oscillate around 80 percent. Last Sunday, Argentine newspaper La Nación published a lengthy interview with Lula, in which he reveals his vision for the world as it tries to emerge from the global downturn. Some quotes from the article:

In calling for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to adopt a more collaborative approach and cease dictating policy to borrowing countries, Lula called for an end to bean-counting and a reliance on political consensus to overcome global problems:

“The phase of the technocrats is over. The moment has come for politics.”

In detailing some major investments planned by the government (including via state-run oil company Petrobras) in order to build up Brazil’s internal market and weather some of the drop-off in foreign investment that will result from the financial crisis:

“Petrobras alone has planned investments of 178 billion dollars through 2013. We’ve just announced a plan to build a million homes.”

Why Brazil has decided to reduce its fiscal surplus, in order to invest more in stimulating the economy (Lula’s argument is that the crisis presents an unprecedented opportunity for governments to reshape their societies):

“In Brazil we even reduced the … surplus because we’re convinced that the moment has come for investments, to create jobs and generate a better distribution of income. It’s an exceptional moment to make political decisions. In the last few years, Brazil has earned the right to go into debt a little bit more because we’ve shrunk our public debt to 35% of Gross Domestic Product from 52%. We have the right to work with public debt to finance and create more public works in our country. I see this crisis as the great opportunity that’s showing us how to be more courageous, be more audacious, and prepare ourselves for the end of the crisis. Countries like China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Argentina have greater opportunities to emerge from the crisis, as long as we do things right.”

On Central America and the Caribbean:

“I told President Obama that the Caribbean and Central American economies are all totally focused on the United States. So it’s necessary not only to be worried about the United States, but to also be concerned for those smaller countries.”

More on Brazil’s efforts to weather the crisis:

“In Brazil, because of the crisis, we have various infrastructure projects manned by two shifts of workers. Our worry now is to prevent a fall in society’s consumption habits, to create jobs and not pull back on social programs. That’s the miracle we have to achieve in Brazil.”

On his succession:

“There’s one thing I can say: it’ll be a privilege for this country if there’s a presidential campaign pitting Dilma Rousseff (from Lula’s own Worker’s Party) against José Serra (from the more centrist PSDB opposition party). If the candidates are Dilma, Serra and Ciro (Gomes, from the Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB) that would also be a luxury. Ditto if (Aécio) Neves is there. And that’s because I don’t see anyone from the right there. I see colleagues from the left, center-left, progressives. That’s a huge step forward for Brazil.”

On Marxism:

“I was never a Marxist. Never. That’s one affliction I never suffered from!”

On Bolivian President Evo Morales and his tug-of-war with Brazil over natural gas:

“When Evo Morales began to fight with Brazil, some in conservative spheres wanted me to hit back. I always treated him as a friend and partner. I knew the gas was his and I knew that one day he would learn some lessons and he himself would learn that there were different approaches that might be taken. That’s what’s happening: he’s a lot more mature, he was able to build a team.”

At the end of the interview, the La Nación journalist says he was shooed from the room by Lula’s handlers who explained that the Brazilian president was about to take a call from U.S. President Barack Obama. Lula said that once his second term ends in 2010, his plan is to continue working on Latin American issues and also on helping Africa.