(Brazil's) Lula uneasy before anti-globalisation protesters

[Robbien]

For all his charisma, even Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who came to power as the idol of Latin America's Left, found it hard to sell his orthodox economic policy at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on Thursday. His audience of 10,000 anti-globalisation activists was already miffed at the Brazilian president's decision to attend the World Economic Forum on Friday to meet the bigwigs of capitalism they so despise.

But having to defend two years of textbook economic orthodoxy and cosy relations with the International Monetary Fund was too much for disenchanted supporters at an event launched as a challenge to Davos, Switzerland, five years ago.

. . .

He also sent a strong message to Washington. “When the US quarrelled with our comrade (Hugo) Chávez, we said in January 2003 in Quito (Ecuador) that Venezuela's problems are not the US's but South America's. In reference to the current stand-off between Colombia and Venezuela, which Brazil is seeking to mediate, he said: “We are poor countries and we can't afford to fight over secondary things.”

Yet he was still unusually nervous, committing several blunders in a rambling defence of his foreign policy, mixing up Carlos Menem with Néstor Kirchner, respectively the former and current Argentine presidents.

. . .

Mr Lula da Silva can surely look forward to a more sympathetic hearing from his new-found friends in Davos on Friday.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/e17ea824-70a5-11d9-b572-00000e2511c8.html

Lula meets with Condaleessa Rice's Zoellick on Friday on the FTAA negotiations.

[T_i_B]

1. Once Lula was a hero of the left - now they heckle him off stage

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=605301

Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was heckled on the stage at the World Social Forum yesterday by the same international activists who hailed him as a saviour when he swept to office two years ago. The left-wing firebrand sat stony-faced on stage as he was booed before delivering the keynote address at the annual alternative gathering timed to coincide with the World Economic Forum at the luxury Swiss ski resort of Davos.

From environmentalists to human rights advocates, urban workers and rural poor, left-wing activists are angry with their fallen hero for what they believe is his failure to push for social reforms at home or abroad.

The charismatic leader of Latin America's biggest country has found himself caught between the two forums, and his decision to purchase a new presidential Airbus - which whisked him off to Davos last night - has further stoked the accusations that he betrayed the beliefs which swept him to his landslide election win.

Once on stage, Mr Da Silva mounted a spirited defence of his first two years in office, saying Brazil is creating millions of jobs through a stabilised economy and becoming a strong political voice for the elimination of poverty from South America to Africa. His critics point out that average real wages in Brazil have dropped 6.1 per cent since he took office in January 2003 and the President has created only 2 per cent of the 250,000 jobs for young people that he promised by 2006.

[hector459]

2. I think they believe he has been threatened by the US.

These people know the real deal as described in John Perkins book
"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" This book revealed to the US reading public what these people have known for decades. That US foreign aid and IMF and World bank Loans are instruments for deeding your country's resources to the US and the rest of the west. A Trojan horse of greed and corruption.