A Quick Look at the Brazilian Press

Summary: Brazilian news media today featured continued coverage of Brazil and Iran. Papers and TV covered Iran’s submittal of details on the uranium swap to the IAEA, along with FM Amorim’s claim that the GoB entered into the Iranian issue because Obama urged President Lula to do so. Op-eds criticized the GoB’s miscalculations on the Iran issue, especially how it underestimated U.S. resolve, while an editorial in O Globo claimed that Brazil’s defense of Iran is motivated by the desire among certain GoB elements for a nuclear weapon for Brazil. Media reported on the U.S. Mission announcement of the increase in MRV visa fees, Sean Goldman’s Brazilian grandmother’s continued press outreach on the boy’s birthday, and Lula’s unveiling of an international Brazilian state television channel.

Obama rejects Lula invitation to visit Brazil before presidential elections – Folha de S. Paulo A7/Blog do Noblat: Kennedy Alencar reports that President Obama rejected an invitation from President Lula to visit Brazil before the October 3rd presidential elections. Report claims that Lula would like to use the trip to bolster Dilma Rousseff’s candidacy. According to Alencar, Lula attributed the refusal to two factors: divergences in foreign policy (Iran) and the supposed “interference” from both Former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – who are close with former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso - to prevent an Obama visit from benefitting Workers Party (PT) presidential pre-candidate Dilma Rousseff. http://migre.me/Igbx

Iran details uranium swap deal to IAEA but threatens to pull out if new sanctions are adopted - Iran formalizes Brazil-Turkey agreement, isolating Washington, but threatens to abandon it if IAEA accepts it partially – O Globo 27/ Jornal do Brasil A17/ Blog do Noblat: http://migre.me/Ighe

Iran details uranium swap deal to IAEA – O Estado de S. Paulo A13: http://migre.me/Ii9b

Iran presents nuclear deal to UN, demands support from major powers – Folha de S. Paulo A18: http://migre.me/Iis6

Iran follows first step in Brazil-Turkey deal – Correio Braziliense 22: http://migre.me/IgUc

On TV – Iran presents letter to IAEA with details of nuclear agreement with Brazil and Turkey: Jornal Nacional and Globo News Jornal das Dez 05/24/2010: http://migre.me/IiDw and http://migre.me/IiVB

Papers report Iran delivered a letter on the uranium swap to the IAEA, and reports that the U.S. will provide a response shortly. Folha notes that the U.S. has already indicated that it will reject the offer. JB writes that the Iranian government sent a formal letter to the IAEA yesterday accepting the terms of the agreement it signed with Brazil and Turkey regarding its nuclear program. O Globo highlights that the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Salehi, stated that if the document is only partially accepted, the agreement will be automatically suspended. Story also highlights that Department of State Spokesman Philip Crowley stated that there is no major turbulence in the relations between Brazil and the U.S. – not even after the letter sent by President Obama to Lula was leaked to the press. Crowley, however, does not support the immediate creation of the P5+3 group in the Security Council that would include Brazil and Turkey. Foreign Affairs Minister Amorim reemphasized that Brazil’s negotiations with Iran grew out of a suggestion made by President Obama.

Displeased with UN, U.S. considers own sanctions against Iran - Valor Economico A10: Reprint of wire story highlights U.S. Executive-Legislative dynamics in the process of creating unilateral sanctions. Despite the headline, the story does not report that the U.S. is in conflict with the U.N. http://migre.me/IgSV

Amorim underscores need for peaceful solution; says Brazil would not get involved recklessly – UOL : Portal reproduces story from Agência Brasil, which quotes Brazil’s Foreign Minister Amorim as saying the fewer threats Iran receives, the greater the chances that a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue is reached. When asked about the letter Obama sent to Lula, Amorim said Brazil would not get involved in such negotiations with Iran without the international community’s support, especially the U.S.’s. “Naturally we would not enter in such a thing, contrary to many people think, in an imprudent way. So, we have always taken into account opinions and concerns given by other countries, especially the U.S, because President Obama was the first who asked President Lula to get interested on the issue.” http://migre.me/IjoC

Column (Ilimar Franco): Opposition senators displeased with Brazilian diplomat’s role in Iran case – O Globo 2: Columnist reports that the Senate Foreign Affairs commission will question Brazilian diplomat Marcel Biato, who was nominated to be the Brazilian Ambassador to Bolivia. GoB Special Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Marco Aurelio Garcia has already indicated his support for Biato. The opposition is displeased by Biato’s defense of the agreement with Iran.

Op-ed (Rubens Barbosa): Calculation error – O Globo 7/ O Estado de S. Paulo A2: Former Brazilian Ambassador to the U.S., Rubens Barbosa, criticizes the GoB’s role in the Iranian nuclear imbroglio. Barbosa writes that a series of errors in calculation were evident when the GoB decided to try to mediate an agreement with Iran – an agreement which Iran is already threatening to break if new sanctions are approved. Barbosa lists some of these errors like overestimating China’s and Russia’s disposition to stand up against the U.S. in support of Brazil’s efforts; ignoring the domestic and international pressures on the Obama administration that led to the abandonment of the negotiations with Iran and the predictable reaction of the U.S. against the intrusion of new actors on matters it considers its exclusive responsibility. Barbosa adds that the GoB did not evaluate potential losses to Brazil as a result of its support for Iran cause and underestimated the risks to bilateral relations with the U.S. Barbosa concludes that taking on a negotiator role in global affairs is an arduous path. The learning curve will depend on the GoB making objective evaluations, founded on Brazil’s permanent national interests and not party priorities. http://migre.me/IgAn

Editorial: Nuances to Brazilian foreign policy – O Globo 6: The daily prints an editorial questioning the GoB’s intentions when opposing new sanctions against Iran. The daily writes that Vice President Alencar previously defended idea that Brazil might benefit from developing nuclear weapons, and that this opinion may be shared by other influential Brazilian officials. The editorial concludes that is makes no sense to change the Brazilian stance on nuclear weapons as some members of the GoB would like. O Globo states that the Brazilian stance of only having a nuclear program for peaceful purposes is fundamental to keeping Latin America free from an extremely dangerous arms race, like the one taking place in India and Pakistan.

Editorial: New Brazilian Foreign Policy under Lula Administration – Jornal do Brasil A10: The daily praises the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for being more open, visible and accessible to the public during the Lula administration. The daily also praises Foreign Affairs Minister Celso Amorim, overall complimenting the direction that Brazilian foreign policy has taken in recent years.

Blog (Gustavo Chacra): Correspondent who covered Lula’s trip to Tehran discusses Iranian situation – De Beirute a Nova York: The interview with the correspondent focuses on the state of Iranian society, with the commentator sharing his observations about freedom of the press in Iran and the amount of support President Ahmadinejad enjoys among rural and elite populations. http://migre.me/IgcH

Column (Janio de Freitas): “The Jump”– Folha de S. Paulo A6: According to author, Brazil’s handling of Iran was “less risky than it seemed.”

MRV fee to increase in June – Correio Braziliense 32, G1, Terra and Portal Exame: Outlets report on press release issued on Monday by the Embassy on the worldwide MRV fee changes. The fee for the most common visas (B1, B2) will increase from $131 to $140 starting June 4. http://migre.me/Ijza, http://migre.me/IjzD, http://migre.me/IjAi

Lula for UN Secretary General?:

Lula denies drive to become UN Secretary General, specialists doubt he could anyway – Folha de S. Paulo A4/ Folha de S. Paulo A4: NY correspondent Cristina Fibe says that there are no written rules that forbid President Lula from becoming the UN head but notes that according to specialists, the chances of this happening are close to zero. She quotes unnamed diplomats as well as Linda Fasulo, author of “An Insider’s guide to the UN” and Professor Edward Luck, Senior VP and Director of Studies of the International Peace Institute.

Sean Goldman’s Brazilian grandmother asks to talk to him on his birthday today; GOB to mediate – O Globo 20/Jornal do Brasil A13/CBN Radio: Five months after Sean Goldman’s return to the U.S. under the Hague Convention, media outlets note that yesterday Silvana Bianchi, Sean Goldman’s Brazilian grandmother, appealed to the boy’s father, American citizen David Goldman, to be allowed to talk to Sean today, on his 10th birthday. According to JB, Ms. Bianchi says she has not been able to speak to Sean for two months. The daily adds that yesterday the GoB accepted the Bianchi family’s request to try to mediate with the USG in order for the grandparents to be permitted to visit the boy. The request was sent to the Human Rights Secretariat of the Ministry of Justice.

Government and politics

President Lula’s official agenda for today – Blog do Noblat: The president travels to Buenos Aires this afternoon, but is scheduled to return to Brasilia the same day. http://migre.me/Igrb

Lula announces creation of state-owned TV’s international channel, calls it “my TV” – O Globo 12/Jornal do Brasil A6: President Lula announced yesterday the creation of TV channel TV Brasil International. Lula stated that the new channel will broadcast a positive image of Brazilian society overseas. According to Lula, this station will be an alternative to the negative stories about the country presented by commercial networks. Initially, the programming will be broadcasted to 49 African countries. Afterwards, the GoB plans to expand to Latin America, the U.S. and Europe. To Lula, TV Brasil International will also be important for reinforcing the Portuguese language abroad. http://migre.me/IgXE

Israel’s Prime Minister to visit Brazil in August – Folha de S. Paulo A17: Marcelo Ninio reports that despite its dissatisfaction with Brazil’s rapprochement with Iran, the Israeli government confirmed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Brazil on August 11th.