With a ‘again to normality’ message, Brazil’s Lula seeks to enhance international ties By Reuters

© Reuters. President-elect of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends a gathering at COP27 local weather summit, in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

By Catarina Demony

LISBON (Reuters) -Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva travelled from the COP27 summit in Egypt to Portugal on Friday to inform officers that his nation is again to “regular” as he strives to enhance international ties and Brazil’s picture overseas.

The leftist, who gained the presidential election final month towards right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, is because of begin his third time period in January. Till then, he’s on a mission to inform the world that “Brazil is again”.

Throughout firebrand Bolsonaro’s 4 years in workplace, Brazil’s ties with many different international locations frayed, not least as a result of Amazon (NASDAQ:) deforestation soared beneath his watch.

On Wednesday, Lula obtained a famous person welcome at COP27 as he pledged to recommit the rainforest nation to tackling the local weather disaster and supplied to host future U.N. local weather talks. The president-elect met with local weather envoys from China and the US, in addition to the EU local weather coverage chief.

In Portugal, Lula met President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Friday.

At a information convention with Costa, Lula stated Brazil was a “pleased” and “hopeful” nation but it surely turned “unhappy” as a result of Bolsonaro didn’t “need to discuss with anyone”.

“No one wished to go to Brazil as a result of his (Bolsonaro’s) behaviour was completely anti-Brazil and anti-democratic,” Lula stated. “(However) I need to inform you that Brazil has returned to normality.

“Brazil, after the election, has been returning to being a contented nation.”

‘GIGANTIC VICTORY’

After touchdown, the president-elect had lunch at a restaurant in Lisbon and was welcomed by a crowd of supporters. Brazilians – who communicate Portuguese – make up Portugal’s greatest migrant neighborhood and Lisbon has the most important variety of Brazilian voters exterior the South American nation.

As he met Rebelo de Sousa on the president’s official residence, supporters sporting crimson, the color of Lula’s Staff Get together, gathered exterior.

Andre Eduardo, 37, stated Lula’s win was a “gigantic victory towards fascism”.

Some Bolsonaro supporters additionally confirmed up, shouting and accusing Lula of being a “thief”. One, Muria Tureiques, stated Lula “wasn’t elected by the folks” and claimed he “stole the election”.

Forward of the vote, Bolsonaro had repeatedly made baseless accusations about Brazil’s voting system. Ultimately, though he didn’t concede, Bolsonaro didn’t block the handover of energy. A few of his supporters, nonetheless, have refused to just accept the consequence.

The COP27 summit was Lula’s first international journey since being elected however Portugal is his first bilateral go to.

“We imagine that by selecting Portugal as the primary nation for a bilateral go to after his election, he’s giving a really sturdy sign,” Overseas Minister Joao Cravinho advised Lusa information company.

Bolsonaro didn’t go to Portugal throughout his time in workplace, and in July this 12 months he cancelled a gathering with Portugal’s president in Brazil as a result of the Portuguese chief had additionally made plans to fulfill Lula.

“Let’s resume dialogue for one of the best of our peoples,” Lula wrote on Twitter earlier on Friday.