Brazilian influential newspaper blasts “Dilma’s anti-diplomacy”
Brazil’s influential newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo blasted Brazilian foreign policy and its handling of the Paraguayan political crisis. In an opinion column under the heading “Dilma’s anti-diplomacy” the newspaper argues that the current administration is politicizing foreign policy, the same way that her predecessor, Lula da Silva.
The conservative newspaper claims that since the Workers Party reached office, the eight years of former president Lula da Silva were rich in transforming Brazilian diplomacy into an “ideological exercise”. It mentions the case in 2006 when Bolivia troops took over Petrobras refineries (and Brazilian assets), and Lula da Silva called it an “act of sovereignty” and that Bolivia needed to be treated with “love”.
However with the arrival of Dilma Rousseff there were hopes of a change, particularly since the president committed her administration to the defence of human rights, including in Iran, whose president denies the Holocaust and heads a regime that beats and jails opponents and Lula da Silva referred to him as “compañero”.
It seemed that Dilma was prepared to abandon Lula’s childish Anti-Americanism and join sides with the civilized world in condemning Teheran. But the Brazilian president who likes to be called “the manager” is more intent in imprinting her own seal to foreign policy, says O Estado de Sao Paulo.
For example, when Dilma had the chance to show her statesmanship at the RIo+20 conference last June, she left aside the professional diplomats and preferred a watered down document with no decisive weight that seemed to please or be accepted by everybody, believing it was a diplomatic success.
Later when the opportunity to put out the fire caused by the removal of Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo, also last June, she ended adding fuel to the situation by accepting the thesis of a ‘coup’ and therefore Paraguay had to be sanctioned.
O Estado de Sao Paulo adds that later Dilma personally patronized the regrettable operation to include Venezuela in Mercosur, taking advantage of the suspension of Paraguay, which resisted all along the incorporation of President Hugo Chavez’ country to an already discredited South American block.
Basically Dilma’s excessive personalism in foreign policy does not differ from the political-ideological contamination of the eight years Lula da Silva was president. In both cases foreign policy decisions are adopted not according to national interests as mandates the Constitution, “but in line with those projects to affirm and retain power”. Under Lula da Silva the imprudent policy of siding with autocrats imperilled the independence of Brazil in the definition of its foreign interests and in the search of a “community of Latinamerican nations” the former president put the country “at the service of the delirious Bolivarian project”.
With Dilma the “Lulopetista” (blend of Lula da Silva and Workers Party) ideology persists in Brazil’s foreign relations, but with an added probably more explosive ingredient: her idiosyncrasies. The President does not get along with her Foreign Affairs minister Antonio Patriota, the “manager” insists in a diplomacy of results and is contrary to making concessions and to the flatteries which are part of the essence of diplomacy.
Finally the newspaper cautions that with two and a half years ahead Dilma, has ample chance to further imprint her personal views, further compromising the influence of Brazil in international affairs.
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As a result, Mercosur was also weakened.
You are either a fair-playing, dependable partner internationally, or not! there is no middle ground.
Whether she is rattled or, let us hope this is NOT the case, she is using her idiosyncrasies in the same way as The Mad Bitch Of Argentina.
The agreement with Angola was a puzzle and still vexes me as to what is going on in Brasil.
ANd she has, by opposing the coup!
Moreover The Estado de S. Paulo is speaking from its own particular viewpoint, that of a right-wing, über Catholic outlet with deep connections with both the financial markets and the industrialist lobby. It no doubt sees as beneficial not only the coup against Lugo, an adherent to the Vatican-opposed Liberation theology, but also undisturbed relations with the government of Paraguay, not matter how undemocratic it is, due to Brazilian economic presence in the country.
OK, Dilma and others may have orchestrated the Paraguay/Venezuela/Mercosur sequence, but it was swiftly conducted and it achieved their desired outcome. Political 'blood was spilt' but there was no killings or genocide this time.
Dilma plays to her own strengths and in her own style, working with the power of her office to set up her country and the Continent in the Leftist image she honed in her earlier revolutionary years.
She may prove to be the inheritor of Chavez's Bolivarian Revolution, but she may be ousted by Lula at the next presidential election.
If ousted, where does she go from there? ... UN General Secretary? This would certainly give scale to her vision for a Leftist world.
Why the hell do you think a leftist world is a laudable goal? You should know by now that individual rights are incompatible with it. Brazil has just missed a great opportunity to enhance its moral status.
I am sure you have to be an outstanding diplomat to have paraguay bared from voting and at the same time fast track Venezuela into the trade block. I wonder how much cash this newspaper got to print such a fake report. It's not out of character to Have newspaper print lies for money aren't they in the business of advertising for cash???
Now theres an idea =) Of course if Lula doesn't come back maybe Cristina could take the UN job?
So we judge Paraguay political trial as legal trial and they insert legal venues to exclude Paraguay with and ideological argument ha!
I will look very careful coming from another trading block doing business with mercosur they have no respect for rules
You should know by now that individual rights are incompatible with it.
Brazil has just missed a great opportunity to enhance its moral status.” ljordao (#9)
You misjudge me, ljordao. If you were a regular contributor you would know my position. My wry comment is no validation of the behaviour of these states, though, it must be said, it was just a matter of time as the Left in these Mercosur countries wanted Venezuela IN. Dilma with enthusiasm; Mujica with reservations.
The Mercosur presidents had to break the Paraguayan log-jam as soon as possible to enable Chavez to have a decisive leadership over policy before his cancers put him beyond the possibility. They *made* the opportunity in a typical South American fashion.
It is a historical truth that CFK is not a left-wing ex-revolutionary - like the Brasilian or Uruguay or Venezuela leadership and teams;
in fact she more in common with the new putsch team in Paraguay.
CFK's reasons are not idealogical, they are for the maintenance of power. The same is true of her team, especially Timerman ... all pragmatists willing to bend the truths to serve the pragmatic cause - the maintenance of power.
You might wonder how Dilma squares revolutionary ideals with developing a First World, Western-style trading democracy. Dilma, like presidents before her, has addressed her dilemma by 're-distributing' trading income and taxes to the poor, her voting-base that keeps her in power. This is how most of South America 'keeps left'.
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