Brazil Expecting an Obama Visit in the Next Few Months

Obama and Lula American president Barack Obama might visit Brazil before the end of the year once the US Senate approves the nomination of Thomas Shannon as ambassador before the Brazilian government, announced the head of the Brazilian diplomatic legation in Washington Antonio Patriota.

"President Obama could visit Brazil at the end of this year or beginning of the following," said Patriota in an interview with influential daily O Estado de S. Paulo.

"The confirmation of Shannon as ambassador in Brasí­lia is the first step" for Obama to visit Brazil following the invitation extended earlier this year by Brazilian president Lula, added Patriota.

The Brazilian president met with Obama last April in Washington and again last July in Italy during the summit of the G8.

Last week when President Obama was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, Lula repeated that his election as US president was in effect "an extraordinary event" and stated that the Nobel was in good hands.

The confirmations of Thomas Shannon as US ambassador and of Arturo Valenzuela as Under Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs have been frozen in the US Senate following objections from Republican Senator Jim de Mint, probably the most conservative lawmaker in the US Congress.

De Mint has questioned the Obama administration foreign policy, particularly concerning Honduras where he, de Mint, is a staunch supporter of de facto president Roberto Micheletti.

According to ambassador Patriota, president Obama would like to tour South America, particularly Brazil and Chile, to meet President Michelle Bachelet before she ends her mandate on March 11.

O Estado reveals that as soon as Shannon is confirmed by the US congress, Bill Burns from the State Department will be flying to Brasí­lia to prepare the trip of State Secretary Hillary Clinton, who will lay the ground for the big meeting.

Lula and Obama have established a close relationship and the US president has gone as far as calling his peer "the most famous politician in the world."

Mercopress

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil’s IRS and Elections Board Join Forces to Catch Corrupt Politicians

Brazil’s Federal Elections Board (TSE) and the Federal Revenue Department (SRF) will sign an ...

Brazilian General Sees Reasonable Stability in Haiti

19 days in charge of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah), Brazilian ...

Brazil’s Embraer Introduces New Jet to Asia

Brazil’s Embraer announced December 3 that startup airline Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd  will ...

Brazil Opposition Calls Ahmadinejad Pathetic Character

São Paulo state governor José Serra, the main leader of the Brazilian opposition and ...

Brazilian UN Envoy Killed in Iraq Gets a Bronze Bust in Geneva

Sérgio Vieira de Mello, a Brazilian ambassador to the UN who was killed four ...

Brazil’s Forest Monitoring Know-How May Be Used in Africa

Brazil's Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) may take satellite ground monitoring systems to African countries. ...

China Spends Close to US$ 1 Billion Buying Power Plants in Brazil

Beijing-based State Grid Corp. of China completed the purchase of seven electricity distribution businesses ...

Sugar and Alcohol Help Brazil Agro Exports Reach Record US$ 41 Billion

Brazilian agribusiness exports reached US$ 48.2 billion in the last 12 months, a value ...

Brazil’s Universal Care for AIDS Patients at a Dead End

Rising costs for drugs is threatening Brazil’s ability to provide free AIDS medication to ...

Sharing the Joy

Although this year’s Carnaval that took place in June in San Francisco is just ...