“An opportunity to resume presidential diplomacy and revitalize bilateral relations, which have had a lower political profile in recent years.” The description was created by the Brazilian presidency to define Lula da Silva’s visit to Portugal, which begins next Sunday. Between meetings, controversies and protests, the Brazilian president will remain in Portugal until Tuesday the 25th. In the entourage, Lula brings eight ministers and the hope of signing at least 13 official agreements.
But the arrival of the Brazilian president has caused controversy from the first second. As soon as Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho spoke publicly in February about the possibility of Lula da Silva speaking in parliament at the April 25 formal session – highlighting the unprecedented nature of the event – PSD, Iniciativa Liberal (IL) and Chega protested the idea.
The solution eventually found was to organize a special session for Lula in parliament on 25 April. but not on the April 25 celebrations. In any case, he will be the first head of state to do so on this date.
The Brazilian president will be received at 9:30 am at the Assembly of the Republic and will speak half an hour later for the suggestive session of the Carnation Revolution. According to an official Brazilian diplomacy source, to Lusa, Lula da Silva will not be staying for the official celebrations, despite being invited to do so by the President of ParliamentAugusto Santos Silva. He will soon be leaving for Madrid, not least because he has planned lunch with King Felipe VI.
Plenty of promises protesting in the hemicycle
Chega has already promised that it will hold “a protest” in the hemicycle during the presence of Lula da Silva. It is not known exactly what he will do.
IL announced that the leader of the Liberal parliamentary group, Rodrigo Saraiva, will fly a Ukrainian flag while the Brazilian president is in parliament. This may even be the sole delegate of the party present at the intervention.
In the latter case, the decision was prompted by recent statements by Lula da Silva on the war in Ukraine: first in China and then in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, the Brazilian president accused the European Union and the United States of actively participating in the prolong the conflict, which also implies that Ukraine would not have been just a passive player at the start of the war.
“Building up the war was easier than leaving the war will be. Because the decision to go to war was made by two countries,” he said at the time, in what it was interpreted as blaming Ukraine itself – the invaded country – for the conflict.
Lula also defended that Brazil is neutral and wants to play a role in the peace solution.
Finally, during a meeting with Romania’s president last Tuesday, he openly said that his government “openly condemns the violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity” and reiterated the need for “a negotiated political solution to the conflict”.
The statements also had an effect on the Ukrainian community in Portugal, who demonstrated outside the Brazilian embassy in Lisbon on Saturday after delivering a letter protesting Lula da Silva’s statements.
The Camões Prize and the Minister Who Didn’t Come
In addition to the agreements he expects to sign on his second visit to Portugal since being elected president (the first took place in November, less than a month after the election), Lula da Silva has another task: to present the Camões Prize to Chico Buarque. The award refers to 2019, but at the time, the then Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, refused to present the award to the singer, following a series of criticisms from the musician regarding his presidency.
Brazil’s Culture Minister, Margareth Menezes, told Lusa that the awards ceremony is on sign of the return of democratic values to the country. The ceremony will take place at the National Palace of Queluz, in Lisbon.
From culture to education, including racial equality, the delegation also includes the executive secretary of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services. Already Fernando Haddadpresidential candidate against Bolsonaro in 2018, and current finance minister, stayed out. On the other hand, Marcelo Freixo, president of Embratur – the Brazilian tourism promotion agency – will be present at the visit to Portugal. And the ministers themselves will also meet: For example, Anielle Franco, Minister of Racial Equality, will meet with Ana Catarina Mendes, Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, who has the portfolio of Equality and Migrations.
First day without an agenda
Lula da Silva arrived yesterday morning. Just after 10.30 am the Airbus A319 with two stripes, one of which is green; another yellow (colors of the Brazilian flag) landed on runway 20 at Lisbon airport.
Together with the first lady, Janja Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president was received by the foreign minister, João Gomes Cravinho, and was entitled to a guard of honor.
On arrival at the hotel where he will be staying in the capital, Lula had a number of supporters waiting for him. In the afternoon, the First Lady, accompanied by guards, was seen shopping at a prestigious menswear store on Avenida da Liberdade.
If the first day on Portuguese soil had no agenda, the second (the first of the official visit) is much busier. After the state ceremonies, Lula will meet his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. In the afternoon, the Portuguese-Brazilian summit will take place, where he will be together with Prime Minister António Costa. It will be the first time in seven years that the bilateral meeting will take place (the last meeting took place in 2016, in Brasília, with Michel Temer during the Brazilian presidency).
Sunday will be another rest day, with Lula heading north where Monday’s agenda will take place. After the Portugal-Brazil Business Forum, in Matosinhos, the Brazilian President and António Costa visit Embraer-OGMA, in Alverca.
In a country where more than 233,000 Brazilians live (according to SEF data), Lula da Silva does not foresee official meetings with the resident community. But whether for or against, it is already known that street actions will take place in various locations.
Source: DN
