MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula da Silva to Remain in Politics, Promises Caricom Trade and Political Links

The Brazilian leader says he will work to the last day as a politician

Brazilian president Lula da Silva discarded any sort of retirement once he steps down from the Executive next December 31 and underlined he will continue to act in politics.

“You can be sure that I will continue in politics; I was born a politician and a politician I shall die” said Lula da Silva during a closing speech at the Brazil-Caricom (Caribbean Community) summit held in Brasilia.

Lula da Silva was replying to Caricom president Roosevelt Skerrit, Dominica Prime Minister, who regretted the fact that the Brazilian president was in the last leg of his two four year consecutive mandate.

Several versions have been launched about what post or job Lula da Silva will be taking when he leaves office, among which United Nations Secretary General or even the presidency of the World Bank, both denied by the leader. However, presidential advisor Marco Aurelio García said the future of Lula da Silva could be linked to working for the integration of Latin America with Africa.

Granada PM Skerrit praised Lula da Silva for having organized a summit to establish and strengthen closer economic, trade and political links between the Caribbean countries and Brazil.

In his speech, President Lula da Silva said the summit would help, besides promoting trade and investment between Brazil and Caricom “to emphasize the sovereignty of each and every country”. Energy dependent Caribbean countries have been attracted into the network of influences knitted by Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and his generous oil-for-vote policy in the region.

Brazil, which has seen its leadership in South American and the Caribbean challenged by an ever more audacious Chavez, has patiently been organizing counter measures such as an economic and political option for Caribbean countries and having Venezuela fully integrated (and hopefully controlled) to the Mercosur trade group.