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 In 2002 the Bush administration made public that it would not get into regional specific politics nor it would relate to other countries through mediation of regional leaders. When Condoleezza Rice visited Brazil last year, it was clear there were changes about to happen. From not paying much attention to Latin American countries, too busy with the war, to sending Rice to Brazil, President Bush most certainly had ideas in his mind.
His image suffered a lot because of the war in Iraq and even the leaders he had hopes for in Latin America, did not catch. How so? Bush liked Menem in Argentina and Nestor Kirchner was the winner. Bush thought Vicente Fox from Mexico meant success and look at what happened. Álvaro Uribe, from Colombia, was another of Bush's certainties of success, but the Colombia plan went down the drain. Venezuelan Hugo Chavez does not like Bush, does not hide it from anyone, and gets more powerful every day. As much as he is criticized for his tyrannic ways, he practically vanished illiteracy from the map since he took office and, in Venezuela, his numbers are very high. Who to speak with? Bush administration does not particularly like Brazil's present politics, i.e., favoring a closer relation with the Middle East, recognition of the Palestine state, being against unilateral politics, pro-UN and fighting for a place with UN's Security Council, not to mention that Brazil seemed to be getting along better than ever with the Pentagon's x-rated countries, Cuba and Venezuela. But Brazil is South America's giant and despite all the political scandals involving President Lula's party and some of his key staff people, his leadership has spread abroad. But the Brazilian President, once a radical left-wing has shown to be more pragmatic than anything and Washington liked that very much. The fear that a leftist former union worker president could form a Brasília/Caracas/Havana trio is long gone. As a matter of fact, Lula became a kind of Wall Street sweetheart, and his finance man, Antônio Palocci, gained respect from all first world countries. On top of this, the uneasiness of dealing with José Dirceu, who once was persona non grata in the US, and who had to be digested as a spokesperson for Brazil, is over. Dirceu is simply out of the picture at this point. At least officially. However, other fears have taken place. Bush has not been successful with ALCA, for lack of an area of cooperation, and China does great business with countries in Latin America, including growing partnerships with Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela.
China has recently signed a military agreement with Cuba, has sold arms to Venezuela and is discussing direct investment in the off-shore oil industry of that country. A mission from Bolivia is undergoing gas negotiations with China.
These are all signs that Latin America is walking on its own feet, at least as far as business is concerned and geopolitics is something left far behind. Brazil and Russia, Brazil and China, Brazil and Venezuela, China and Venezuela, and Mexico and endless combinations. Think fast, act faster. Who is the best partner now? Who is more like everybody's friend and business partner? Eureka! And here comes Brazil and its not sophisticated but very smart and pragmatic president. And so it went. The not so smart but very hard headed US President found his Latin American mate. President Lula hosted President Bush in Brasília, the two seemed very much at ease with each other and even had things in common. Some even say that the two seemed to think as one. Not too long ago who would think such a thing would happen? The right wing ultra-conservative fundamentalist Bush and the former radical metal union leader, left wing Luis Inácio Lula da Silva. Never say never. One of the things that Bush proposed was partnership to counteract the growth of China and India. Energy is also another issue because the US buys 15% of its oil from Venezuela. Some radical views even relate the invasion of Iraq to the security of oil supply to the US from Venezuela. So developing a closer relationship to the Brazilian President who seems to have close ties with Venezuela's Chavez is a very pragmatic idea after all. Not too long ago, the US became very close with Japan and the EU against developing countries, which called for the creation of the G-20, as a response against the arrogance of the richer nations. But circumstances change things. In a global world, with growing countries, Latin American countries are diversifying and spreading their reach, buying different things from different countries, including China, India and Russia. Now a 'cocalero' wins the elections in Bolivia. Evo Morales won with 51% of the votes, and is the first president of indigenous origin in the country. Morales is also the leader of the coca plantations and a candidate of the MAS, Movement to Socialism. Ecuador is going in the same direction, towards left. China is running towards the pod to win as a global potency. And it is running fast. All of this with a somewhat, to say the least, anti-American after taste. So we can conclude that in the world of international politics relationships are not too different from other kinds of relationships. People get closer for different reasons and interests. But there always must be a reason, a target, a goal. The United States has understood that it no longer can manipulate world politics alone. It will need regional leaders as partners, or at least as good friends, to start with. In Latin America, President Bush chose President Lula, of Brazil. Clara Angelica Porto is a Brazilian bilingual journalist living in New York. She went to school in Brazil and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Clara is presently working as the English writer for The Brasilians, a monthly newspaper in Manhattan. Comments welcome at clara.angelica@gmail.com.
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