Diplomat calls Brazil foreign policy anti-American

Sao Paulo, Feb 4: Brazil's newly retired ambassador to the United States said policy at Brazil's Foreign Ministry was being increasingly dictated by a group of short-sighted, anti-American leftists.

Roberto Abdenur, 64, whose interview was published in the magazine Veja yesterday, retired last week after 44 years at Brazil's Itamaraty, or Foreign Ministry. His last post was three years as ambassador to the United States.

''A very strong ideology is present in Brazil's foreign policy.

The idea of South-South trade as predominant (policy) reveals a backward anti-Americanism,'' Abdenur said. ''There are in Brazil sectors, although minorities, that have an aversion to the United States, both in the government and Itamaraty.'' A representative at the Foreign Ministry was aware of Abdenur's interview but had no response at this time.

Brazil's foreign policy has strengthened trade with Asia, Africa and other Latin American countries since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva came to office in 2003, Abdenur said.

But he added the Foreign Ministry's agenda of focusing on trade ties with developing countries, or so-called South-South relations, had come at the cost of better relations with developed economies, such as the United States.

''This is an ideology that is anti-capitalistic, anti-globalization, anti-American,'' Abdenur said in the interview.

He said only those in the ministry with openly leftist affinities were being promoted.

Lula and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim failed to find common ground with the United States over the Free Trade Area of the Americas, which would have united most of North, Central and South American into the world's largest trade bloc.

The FTAA is stalled and analysts say Brazil is losing competitiveness in the US market where other Latin American countries like Chile, Peru and Colombia are gaining access through bilateral agreements.

''Brazil is, at best, failing to make money'' through greater participation in the US market, Abdenur said.

He said Brazil's part of the US market had fallen from 2.2 percent 20 years ago to 1.4 percent. The United States is the biggest consumer of Brazilian goods and services.

Reuters