A Quick Look at the Brazilian Press

Summary: Brazilian news media today featured exhaustive coverage of the nuclear agreement reached by Brazil, Turkey, and Iran; it was the top front-page headline in all major Brazilian newspapers, which dedicated several pages to this issue. It was also the highlight of TV and radio newscasts and commented on by several bloggers. Papers reported that FM Amorim acknowledged the limited scope of the agreement and asked for the world to be patient with Iran. Skepticism of the agreement on the part of the international community received ample coverage, with reports indicating that sanctions remain a priority for the U.S. and Europe. News stories covered Iran’s announcement to continue enriching uranium to 20%, noting that this decision was apparently made independently of yesterday’s agreement, and reported that President Lula’s efforts to secure the release of American prisoners in Iran were rebuffed. A columnist analyzed the agreement and came to the conclusion that it would not prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, while another wrote that regardless of doubts about the agreement, it represents a political victory for Lula. One columnist harshly criticized Lula and the GoB for oversimplifying the Iranian issue and claimed that Brazil is defending countries antithetical to Brazil’s own values.

Amorim acknowledges limited scope of agreement, but asks for more time

Amorim asks the world to give Iran more time – O Globo 24: http://migre.me/FUMi

Brazil asks for vote of confidence – Folha de S. Paulo A14: http://migre.me/FUQh

Amorim says deal meets Obama’s requirements – Valor Economico A4: http://migre.me/FVfN

Brazilian dailies highlight that while the leaders of Brazil, Iran and Turkey celebrated the uranium-for-fuel agreement announced yesterday, the international community, led by the U.S., France, Russia, and the UK, reacted with skepticism stating that the agreement may not be sufficient to stop new sanctions from being adopted. Dailies highlight that Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim celebrated the agreement as an “entry door” for dialogue but acknowledged its “limited scope,” claiming that Iran’s uranium enrichment program is a separate issue that wasn’t on the Brazil-Iran agenda. “If we look at this rationally, the main issues raised by the interested countries were fully met. One might even say, ‘I don’t trust what Iran is going to do,’ but you need to give it time to see things happen,” Amorim is quoted. According to the minister, the agreement, “Does not resolve the fundamental issue, which are the international community’s serious suspicions about the peaceful intentions of the Iranian nuclear program.”

Valor highlights that Amorim underscored that the agreement was based on the goals of the P5+1 group, as listed by President Barack Obama in a letter sent to President Lula a few weeks ago. “This deal wasn’t proposed by us.....What Iran said is that it is going to comply with a deal proposed by the P5+1.” O Globo also discussed a conversation Amorim had recently with Secretary Clinton: “There is a new fact [on the table] and Iran has put in writing something that it had never done before. We didn’t create the agreement, we just suggested a way to make possible what had already been proposed by the IAEA and the group of six countries.”

USG and European countries question agreement as vague, keep focus on sanctions

Skepticism surrounds agreement with Iran – O Globo 23

U.S. says agreement is vague, insists on sanctions – O Globo 23: http://migre.me/FUuSand http://migre.me/FUvO

Interviews in Washington: “Brazil wastes all U.S. good will” – O Estado de S. Paulo A13: http://migre.me/FUXs

Nuclear treaty doesn’t convince the U.S. - Folha de S. Paulo A12: http://migre.me/FUPX

U.S. maintains decision to ask UN for sanctions against Iran – Valor Economico A5

Medvedev tells Lula that a new path has been opened – Folha de S. Paulo A12: http://migre.me/FUPF

UK, France, Russia consider agreement insufficient – O Globo 23: http://migre.me/FUwu

World receives deal mediated by Brazil, Turkey with skepticism – O Estado de S. Paulo A12: http://migre.me/FUVc

Europe maintains goal of new sanctions – O Estado de S. Paulo A14: http://migre.me/FUVw

International pressure against nuclear plan likely to continue - Valor Economico A5

Brazilian correspondents in Washington and in Europe highlight that the international community reacted with skepticism to the announcement of the nuclear swap agreement with Iran. O Globo correspondents Marilia Martins and Fernando Eichenberg highlight that statements from the Department of State and the White House considered the agreement “vague” and underlined U.S. skepticism regarding the Iranian nuclear program. Stories highlight that White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs welcomed Iran’s willingness to transfer lowly-enriched uranium to another country, but that Iran’s decision to continue enriching uranium at 20% is still a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Estado Washington correspondent Patricia Campos Mello quotes Bernard Aronson, former Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs from 1989-93 as saying: “If the deal is used by other countries to delay sanctions, this will prejudice Brazil and Turkey in the eyes of the U.S.” Paper also quotes an unnamed source from the U.S. Senate as saying: “Brazil is wasting all the good will the U.S. has towards the country.” All papers report that European countries also maintained their plans to approve sanctions against Iran at the UNSC. Folha columnist and senior reporter Clovis Rossi highlights that Russian President Dmitri Medvedev called President Lula to say that the sanctions package against Iran is almost ready but noted that the deal reached in Tehran opens the door for possible negotiations.

Iran maintains enrichment despite agreement

Despite deal, Iranian nuclear project will go on – O Estado de S. Paulo A12: http://migre.me/FUWX

Iran wants to keep uranium enrichment - Valor Economico A4: http://migre.me/FVrG

Agreement may get in the way of sanctions – O Globo 25: http://migre.me/FUNB

Deal puts in check six months of Washington’s efforts – O Estado de S. Paulo A12: http://migre.me/FUXb

All papers note that the deal with Brazil and Turkey doesn’t end Iran’s nuclear program to enrich uranium. Estado’s Roberto Godoy says the agreement is limited to Iran’s research reactor activities. Dailies quote Iranian representatives as saying there is no relation between the uranium exchange and Iran’s enrichment activities. “We will continue with our job to enrich uranium at 20%,” said Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. Estado NY correspondent Gustavo Chacra reports that according to three analysts, the deal will make it more difficult to approve new sanctions against Iran at the UNSC. Chacra talked to Abbas Milani, a research fellow and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institute and Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University; Gary Sick, Columbia University professor and former White House aide; and Trita Parsi, founder and President of the National Iranian American Council.

Iranian negotiator says uranium return guarantee made a difference – Folha de S. Paulo A16: Paper quotes Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, as saying Iran’s trust in Brazil and Turkey facilitated the deal. “The main factor for the change was the introduction of Turkey as the storage of Iranian uranium and the guarantee that it will return to Iran in case the process fails.” http://migre.me/FUSl

Brazil-Iran trade: Brazil to gain market share in Iran – Jornal do Brasil A5: The daily writes that the improvement of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Iran will likely help the bilateral commercial relationship. Brazil will likely increase its market share in the country as it competes with the U.S. in food exports to Iran, especially beef. The daily prints an info-graphic chart showing the 10 main products that Brazil exports and imports from Iran. In the first four months of 2010, Brazil has exported USD 514 million to Iran.

Backstage of agreement signing – Folha de S. Paulo/ O Globo: Folha correspondents who travelled with President Lula to Tehran describe how the breakfast with the leaders of Brazil, Turkey and Iran on the morning of the nuclear agreement announcement was “marked by finely tuned speeches repudiating American pressure and full of promises for a new world order.” O Globo’s correspondent described how Lula took the backstage during the signing and sought to put focus all of the attention on Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. http://migre.me/FUP9 and http://migre.me/FUTf

Brazilian TV looks at Iran-Brazil-Turkey agreement (full video):

Was the nuclear agreement with Iran for real? – TV Globo’s Bom Dia Brasil (7:15 am): http://migre.me/FVDy

Nuclear agreement with Iran received with skepticism – TV Globo’s Jornal Nacional (8:20 pm): http://migre.me/FUnH

Turkey agrees to surrender 80% of its uranium to Turkey – TV Globo’s Jornal da Globo (10 pm): http://migre.me/FUoO

U.S. and Israel suspicious about agreement – Jornal da Globo: http://migre.me/FUq7

Opposition in Brazilian Congress welcomes agreement, but remains suspicious about Iranian commitment – Globonews, Jornal das 10 (10pm): http://migre.me/FUtC

Brazil’s effort on behalf of U.S. and French detainees in Iran:

Iran rejects Lula’s request on behalf of U.S. detainees; questions arise regarding release of French teacher

Lula’s request for [the release of] Americans arrested in Iran is rejected – O Estado de S. Paulo A14: http://migre.me/FUXQ

Amorim indicates Brazil is acting in favor of U.S. mountain climbers - Folha de S. Paulo A15: http://migre.me/FUQr

Amorim advises “discretion” when it comes to human rights – O Estado de S. Paulo A14: http://migre.me/FUUa

Questions surround release of French professor, announced as “gift” for Brazil – O Globo: http://migre.me/FUNQ

Estado reports that Iran rejected President Lula request to release three U.S. mountain hikers arrested nine months ago on accusations of espionage. O Globo highlights that there are questions about whether the release of a French detainee announced by Iran as a “gift” for Brazil may have been in reality a prisoner swap with France. The questioning follows the announcement that France has just expelled an alleged Iranian agent who was serving a life sentence for his involvement with the killing of a member of the government of the Shah of Iran.

Analysis (Ricardo Bonalume Neto): “Deal alone won’t stop Iran from developing the bomb” –Folha de S. Paulo A16: Bonalume writes that the deal is not sufficient to block Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb because its does not address the central issue of Iran’s continued enrichment program, which may be producing enough material for military uses while still meeting the goal of the agreement reached with Brazil and Turkey. http://migre.me/FUST

Column (Miriam Leitao): Wasting political capital for Iran is complicated – O Globo 18: In her column, Míriam Leitão sharply criticizes President Lula for his involvement in the Iranian nuclear issue, and for his foreign policy stances overall. Leitão notes that her conversation with three Brazilian ambassadors, including former Foreign Minister Lampreia, Ambassador Barbosa, and Ambassador Amaral confirmed her convictions that the Iranian nuclear issue is much more complex than it is portrayed. Regarding the fuel-swap agreement negotiated by President Lula, Leitão notes that the uranium that Iran has agreed to turn over will be only half of what it already has in storage. She states “Iran has clear, explicit ambitions to become a nuclear power. It is a national goal of the country...” She expresses her lack of comprehension of why President Lula is using all of his political capital to support President Ahmadinejad, whose actions are not coherent with values that Brazil defends—much like the Government of Cuba, which President Lula also supports. From a commercial perspective, she points out that Iran represents only .59% of Brazilian trade. She concludes that the key to Brazilian diplomacy is good domestic marketing, and that Lula’s negotiations in Iran are excellent campaign propaganda. http://migre.me/FYau

(Leitao made a similar comment on TV Globo’s morning newscast Bom Dia Brasil: http://migre.me/FVOI)

Columnist Merval Pereira: Good winds for Lula – O Globo 4: Columnist Merval Pereira notes, not without criticism, that in recent days Lula has been successful both domestically and internationally. Even though many have their doubts about the agreement, Pereira notes that for now, Lula and the GoB’s management of closing of an agreement with Iran and Turkey was well done. Domestically, Lula’s “efforts above the [electoral] law” have resulted in projecting pre-presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff into first place in two presidential polls for the first time.

Blog (Gustavo Chacra): Iran uses Brazil, Turkey to gain time, says Iranian professor at Stanford – De Beirute a Nova York: Interview with professor Abbas Milani, director of Stanford University’s Center for Iranian Studies and of the Hoover Institute, and considered to be “one of the greatest specialists on Iran in the United States.” http://migre.me/FUlT