Brazil’s Lula to Visit Argentina, Chile
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva makes his first trip abroad as Brazil’s president-elect this week, traveling to Argentina and Chile to strengthen regional ties before a U.S. visit a week later.
A little more than a month after his election victory, the trip will be a test of whether the former union leader can re-create his surprising success at home on the international front.
Throughout his campaign Lula stressed the importance of rebuilding trade links between Brazil and its Latin American neighbors, which are comparatively small and have been hit by economic and political turmoil.
Lula and a small team of advisors are scheduled to meet with Argentine President Eduardo Duhalde today and Chilean President Ricardo Lagos on Tuesday.
He will meet with President Bush on Dec. 10.
At the heart of Lula’s determination to strengthen South American ties is the desire to present a united front against the U.S. in negotiations to create a free-trade area stretching from Alaska to Argentina.
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