“This is part of Brazil projecting its role and strength as a global player,” said Michael Shifter, vice president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a policy research group in Washington. “And part of this has to do with Brazil sending a message to Washington that it will deal whomever it wants to deal with.”
and Julia Sweig gets it right as well:
“Brazil should expect criticism for hosting Ahmadinejad to be sure,” said Julia E. Sweig, a Latin America expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. “But if it can play a moderating role — and clearly Washington is hoping as much — on the nuclear issue, it can surely deal with the critics.”
Despite the critics, I don't believe that you can lump this as the same sort of visit that one might expect to Hugo Chavez's Venezuela. It's worth remembering despite not seeing eye-to-eye with the Bush adminstration, Lula managed to have cordial relations with Bush.
I do hope, however, Lula remembers and makes clear to Ahmadinejad that he (Lula) was a key player in Brazil's move from a dictatorship to direct elections free of widespread fraud. The people of Iran deserve nothing less.
On the other hand, the Bush government didn't have a hand in blowing up a synagogue in a neighboring country.. I wonder what Argentina makes of this visit...
Posted by: Tambopaxi | November 23, 2009 at 05:54 PM
It was a Jewish community center, not a synagogue.
In any event, Chavez, who is much closer to Ahmadinejad than Lula is, is close to the Kirchners so I guess it's not an issue.
Posted by: Randy Paul | November 23, 2009 at 09:40 PM