A Quick Look at the Brazilian Press

Summary: Brazilian news media today featured continued coverage of the reaction to Brazil’s nuclear agreement with Iran and the subsequent announcement of draft sanctions by members of the UN Security Council. Papers and television reported on President Lula’s defense of the nuclear agreement, and his unwillingness to “demonize” Iran. One columnist wrote that the U.S. is motivated by the desire to avoid Israeli military action against Iran, while another commented that Brazil’s eagerness to join the negotiations with Iran has led to its own international isolation. Papers covered the OAS Human Rights Court decision to hear a case about abuse on the part of the Brazilian military dictatorship in the 1970s, saying it could affect the Brazilian Amnesty Law, and reported on Brazilian Senate efforts to link the confirmation of an ambassador to Cuba to a review of Brazil’s decisions regarding Honduras. Finally, the visit of American officers from the U.S. Consulate in Rio to a favela for community outreach and kite flying lessons received positive coverage in Jornal do Brasil (with picture below).

Lula: critics of agreement with Iran are those who “don’t know how do politics without enemies”

Lula says Iran “is not a demon,” reiterates support for deal with Tehran – O Estado de S. Paulo A16: http://migre.me/GVSl

Lula: Critics of agreement with Iran “don’t know how to do politics unless they have enemies” – Folha de S. Paulo A14/ Valor Economico A12/ G1.com: http://migre.me/GV49 and http://migre.me/GV2m

Marathon to avoid sanctions against Iran – O Globo 30: http://migre.me/GVQg

Not even Ahmadinejad’s allies trust him, says Lula – Valor Economico A12:

TV- Jornal Nacional 05/20/2010: Lula defends nuclear agreement with Iran. http://migre.me/GWnj

In a speech in Brasilia yesterday, President Lula reiterated his support for the nuclear agreement with Iran and said that countries opposing that deal at the UN Security Council “don’t know how to do politics without enemies.” According to Lula, although Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been “demonized” all around the world, he has shown a willingness to sit down and negotiate. “It’s very funny that some people didn’t like [the fact that] Iran accepted the proposal, because some people don’t know how to do politics unless they have enemies, and I am one of those who only knows how to do politics making friends,” Lula is widely quoted. “We have made a contribution for multilateralism that I think needs to be taken into consideration.” Reports highlight that Foreign Minister Celso Amorim is facing a marathon of conversations with his counterparts at the UN Security Council. Until yesterday, Amorim reportedly had already talked to representatives from eight countries. According to O Globo, the daily writes that Brazilian dialogue with the U.S. has been suspended since Monday when Amorim reported the Tehran negotiations to Secretary Hillary Clinton.

Iran threatens to abandon agreement with Brazil and Turkey if sanctions are adopted

Iran threatens to abandon deal with Brazil, Turkey if UN approves sanctions – O Estado de S. Paulo A16: http://migre.me/GV4u

Tehran threatens to cancel agreement if sanctions are approved – Jornal do Brasil A3: http://migre.me/GVFb

Papers report Iran is threatening to break the deal signed with Brazil and Turkey in case a new round of sanctions is approved at the United Nations Security Council. Estado says Iran plans to file the deal at IAEA on Monday. Stories highlight that Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and his Russian counterpart urged Iran to detail the terms of the agreement for the IAEA as soon as possible.

Analysis (Gustavo Chacra): Rushed to approve sanctions, U.S. makes concessions to Russia, China – O Estado de S. Paulo A16: NY correspondent Gustavo Chacra highlights that the USG had to tone down its sanctions proposal to get China and Russia on board in time for this week’s announcement. According to Chacra, some analysts believe that Russia’s unhappiness with Brazil’s and Turkey’s emergence as global players also helped the U.S. effort. According to the analyst, the possibility of an Israeli attack against Iranian installations has been one of the main concerns driving U.S. actions. http://migre.me/GVV3

Analysis (Patricia Campos Mello): White House still under pressure to toughen up on Iran – O Estado de S. Paulo A16: Washington correspondent Patricia Campos Mello concludes that the proposal to speed up the adoption of UN sanctions against Iran set forth by the White House was not enough to appease U.S. hardliners, who will continue to pressure for tougher and unilateral sanctions in Congress.

Column (Eliane Cantanhede): “Impasse” – Folha de S. Paulo A2: Columnist concludes that neither the Brazil-Turkey-Iran agreement nor the UN sanctions will stop Iran from developing its nuclear bomb. According to the columnist, in its eagerness to join the negotiations with Iran, Brazil has isolated itself in the Security Council and has become the focus of negative international attention.

Column (Ancelmo Gois): Brazil, Turkey form “The Iran Protection Society” – O Globo 18: Brief note highlights that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan arrives in Brazil on Tuesday. Gois adds, “Turkey, as you know, is a partner with Lula in the Iran Protection Society.”

Blog (Alon Feuerwerker): Brazil wants negotiations to prevent sanctions, but U.S. may want sanctions to avoid war – Blog do Alon: Blogger writes that although some supposed that Brazil’s agreement with Iran would split the Security Council, it in fact unified the P5+1 and increased the pressure on Iran. According to the blogger, the U.S. sees sanctions as a way to avoid military conflict rather than the first step towards war, and Brazil should consider the possibility that its agreement with Iran simply wasn’t enough. He compares the situation to the turtle and the hare, saying the GoB’s desired pace of negotiation with Iran is the turtle, and the facts on the ground are the hare. http://migre.me/GUyc

TV- Globo News Sem Fronteiras 05/21/2010: What does Brazil win with its agreement with Iran? News analysis program discusses the pros and cons of the agreement and reasons for skepticism on the part of UNSC nations. http://migre.me/GWyU

TV- Globo News Espaço Aberto 05/20/2010: Commentator Miriam Leitao discusses the consequences of the agreement with Iran for Brazil with former Foreign Minister Luiz Felipe Lampreia and former Ambassador Sérgio Amaral. According to Lampreia, the efforts made by the GoB on the agreement were worth it and a testament to Lula’s charisma. http://migre.me/GWZq

Uncle Sam goes to pacified favela to visit social programs – Jornal do Brasil A9: In a positive article, the daily writes that Consul Dave Fogelson and nine other employees of the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro went to the pacified favela of Pavão-Pavãozinho, in Copacabana, yesterday to visit social inclusion project sites and receive kite flying lessons from boys in the community studying English. Dave Fogelson was declared the winner of the kite flying competition.

Astronomy Olympics – O Dia 2-3: In the featured article of the day, the paper prints a two-page story on the Astronomy Olympics finals that will take place today and is a result of a partnership between the U.S. Consulate in Rio, the State Secretariat of Education, newspaper O Dia and Rio’s Planetarium.40 students from state public schools from Rio are still in the running for the big prize: a trip to the US with a chaperone, to visit Kennedy Space Center in Florida [and the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.] The finals start at 2pm and will be streamed live by the U.S. Consulate through CO.NX on the website https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/rio

Deal reported to “speed up” U.S. visas for Brazilian lawyers – O Estado de S. Paulo C7: Paper reports that Brazilian lawyers and interns credentialed at the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and their relatives will be able to get U.S. visas faster in a unit that will function in downtown Sao Paulo, according to the OAB’s press office. The plan is part of a cooperation agreement concluded on Wednesday between OAB SP, the U.S. Consulate and an association of lawyers (Caixa de Assistência dos Advogados de Sao Paulo). Paper quotes Consul Michael Solberg as saying the aim is to instruct lawyers, clarifying doubts and facilitating the visa issuing process. The applicants must do their interviews at the consulate. [PA Note: The SP Consular Section says the story is not correct. The visa process remains the same for everyone.] http://migre.me/GW0y

Government and Politics:

Per columnist Ilimar Franco: First Honduras, then Cuba - O Globo 2: Columnist Ilimar Franco writes that Senator Eduardo Azeredo, President of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, only intends to schedule the confirmation hearing of Ambassador José Eduardo Felício, nominated as Brazil’s Ambassador to Havana, after the GoB defines the status of diplomat Mário Roiter who, since September, has been awaiting orders to take over the post in Honduras. Azeredo is pressuring the Foreign Ministry to review the decision to not recognize the Honduran government.

Business, Trade, and Economics:

Naval industry – Jornal do Brasil Special supplement: The daily prints a special supplement on the rebirth of the Brazilian Naval industry. JB adds that number of jobs related to this industry has grown from 2,000 in the year 2000 to over 45,000 today. The daily also notes the importance of the completion of the oil tanker João Cândido showing the resurrection of such an important sector of the Brazilian economy.

American Nobel Prize Economist Edward Prescott: “When Brazil is rich, everyone will hate it instead of the U.S.” - O Globo 24: The daily prints an interview with American economist, and Nobel Prize winner, Edward Prescott. Prescott gave a presentation yesterday at the headquarters of magazine Época Negócios and then talked to the paper. Prescott criticized the help given by the USG to banks and companies during the financial crisis and is skeptical of a need for more market regulation. In his view, economic turbulence is far from disappearing and the U.S., in spite of the recuperation in the last six months, is still in a depression, but not as deep as in the thirties. Prescott praises Brazilian economic policy, states that the country in on the right ascendant path and jokes, “I want Brazil to become rich because then everyone will hate Brazil instead of hating the U.S.”

OAS Human Rights court to try case related to the Brazilian dictatorship - O Globo 12: The daily writes that, for the first time, the Brazilian government will be a defendant in the OAS Human Rights Court. The trial is related to missing persons from the Araguaia guerrilla group who disappeared in the 1970s. The public sessions began yesterday in Costa Rica and will continue today. The earliest date the decision of the seven judges could be released is in three months time. Yesterday morning, the court heard testimonies from family members of the missing who stated that to date the GoB has not given them any information on the whereabouts of their relatives. In the opinion of the Rio State Bar Association, if the OAS decides that state actors who committed common crimes in Araguaia must be punished, the recent decision of the Brazilian Supreme Court to maintain the Amnesty Law may be contested.

Brazil reaches 600,000 crack users, GoB launches an anti-drug plan – O Estado de S. Paulo C1: Paper reports the number of crack users almost doubled in Brazil in the last 5 years (from 380 thousand to 600 thousand) and that the GoB has launched a R$410 million program to fight combat drug use.