MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rousseff promises, if elected, full support for Colombian president Santos

Colombian president Santos is on a two-day visit to Brazil, his first overseas trip since taking office

Brazilian incumbent presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff held on Wednesday a private meeting with visiting Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos and promised if elected that Brazil would continue with its willingness to mediate with the Colombian FARC guerrillas, as long as Bogotá formally makes a request.

“If Colombia at some point requests the presence of Brazil, we would participate, but in the case it does not, we don’t have why to participate, because the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, are not a Brazilian problem”, said Rousseff on leaving the Colombian embassy in Brasilia.

“We have no reason to be involved unless, Colombian formally requests, in any peace or dialogue activity with the FARC guerrilla”, she underlined.

The administration of President Lula da Silva of which Rousseff was minister and cabinet chief has repeatedly said it is willing to help mediate in a peace process for Colombia.

“We have a very clear and straight position regarding FARC, including President Santos is well aware of how we feel: Brazil has a position contrary to drug trafficking”, activity of which the FARC guerrillas have been accused, added the presidential hopeful.

But “there are moments when if there’s no dialogue, you can’t grasp peace”, pointed out the presidential candidate.

Ms Rousseff said that the FARC issue was not addressed “directly” during the meeting with president Santos, but rather cooperation for control of the long shared border with Colombia. “This was agreed a year ago by then Defence minister Santos and his Brazilian counterpart Nelson Jobim” said Rousseff including the purchase of drones or control remote aircraft to monitor and video the border area for any suspicious movements.

Brazil’s policy on the FARC/Colombian government dispute was recently weighed in by Marco Aurelio Garcia, Brazil's presidential advisor for international affairs. García said his government did not consider it appropriate that FARC should discuss Colombia's ongoing conflict before any continental organisation. He stated that the problem of the conflict must be resolved within Colombia, and that UNASUR could only “intervene to help if and when it is asked to by the Colombian government”.

The ruling Workers Party candidate promised that if elected she would have excellent relations with Colombia. “If this is confirmed next October 3, --when the first round of the presidential election-- I will strive for a very special and priority relation with Colombia”.

This is President Santos first overseas trip since taking office last August 7. He is also scheduled to meet Ms Rousseff main contender, the opposition Social Democracy party presidential candidate, Jose Serra and Marina Silva the Green party hopeful.

According to the latest public opinion polls, Ms Rousseff has a 51% vote intention for October, followed by the former governor of Sao Paulo with 27% and Ms Silva, 7%.

Meanwhile Serra accused Dilma’s electoral campaign team of spying on his daughter as part of a “dirty tricks” strategy to intimidate him.

“There’s foul play from Dilma’s team that is using my daughter who is not involved in politics, has three small children and works very hard”, said Serra who accused candidate Dilma of “accomplice in the violation of fiscal privacy”.

Serra said “it is plain clear there’s a blackmail intention behind all this operation”.

The Brazilian Revenue Office has admitted that archives and documents on members of the Social Democracy of Brazil party, which sponsors Serra “have been broken into”.

The opposition in Congress had demanded a police inquiry into the allegations and a legislative committee to address the issue.

Candidate Serra’s claims against Revenue Office staff and the ruling Workers party have become louder in the last few days aggravated by the alleged spying on Veronica Serra which are headlines in Brazil’s main newspapers.

“This reminds me when former president Collor de Melo back in 1989 made up a story about an out of marriage daughter of Lula da Silva which helped him win the election”, said Serra in a recent interview.

A few weeks ago a close aide of Ms Rousseff was forced to resign following revelations he had contracted former police officers to spy on Serra and his close aides.