MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mujica will be present at Piñera’s inauguration but not Lula da Silva

Four years of recovery works await Chilean president elect Piñera

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica has confirmed his attendance to the inauguration of Chilean president elect Sebastián Piñera next March 11. However news from Sao Paulo indicates that President Lula da Silva will not be participating at the very austere ceremony to be held in Valparaiso.

Uruguayan government house sources said Mujica is planning to travel to Santiago not only to the taking office ceremony of Conservative Piñera, but also to express the Uruguayan people’s “solidarity and support” to the people and government of Chile following the tragic events of Saturday February 27 massive earthquake.

President Michelle Bachelet missed the inauguration of Mujica in Montevideo on Monday March first precisely because of the major catastrophe.

It will be President Mujica’s first overseas trip since taking office.

From Brazil government sources said that Lula da Silva had opted for the domestic agenda since the Chilean ceremony will be very simple and quick plus the fact the Brazilian leader already met with Mr. Piñera during the recent Group of Rio Mexico summit of Latinamerican and Caribbean leaders.

Besides last March first, President Lula da Silva cut short his visit to Uruguay and flew to Chile to personally express Brazilian support to President Bachelet.

“The president will concentrate on the launching of the second phase of the PAC plan, (the program to accelerate growth)” said a Planalto source.

The presentation of PAC (huge public works program) is crucial for the Brazilian ruling party of Lula da Silva and his hand picked presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff for the coming October election.

“For the moment” there’s no trip planned to Chile for President Lula da Silva, however once the situation is back to normal “it is certain the president will hold a bilateral meeting with Piñera in Santiago”.

A report from O Estado de Sao Paulo discarded “ideological differences” with conservative Piñera as the reason for Socialist Lula da Silva’s absence from Santiago.

In related news the White House reported that National Security Advisor, General James L Jones will be representing President Obama at the Chilean inauguration ceremony. He will be accompanied among others by Russell C. Crandall head of Andean Affairs and the National Security Council.

Earlier this week Secretary of State visited Chile where she met with outgoing President Michelle Bachelet and president elect Piñera.