Lula Calls for Unified Latin American Voice

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called on Latin American leaders to present a united front during world trade talks. Lula made the call following a July 14 meeting with Argentinian President Nestor Kirchner and Ricardo Lagos of Chile during the meeting of social democratic leaders held in England last week.

Lula specifically commented on the need for massive pressure at the next round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks to be held in Cancun, Mexico this September. The leaders of the three countries, Lula said, "agreed to forge a common position ahead of the WTO talks against agriculture subsidies, on anti-dumping legislation and intellectual property rights."

On agricultural subsidies, both the United States and European Union have been effective in massively subsidizing monopoly farms which are then able to flood the market with cheap products, effectively shutting the door to imports from poorer nations. Brazil is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world.

Brazil has also led challenges against the strict intellectual property rights protection being sought by the biggest capitalist countries. Protection of intellectual property rights has become the code for protecting the ability of capitalists to make maximum profits. The Americans, for example, have imposed trade sanctions against Brazil because the government has recognized the right of people with life-threatening illnesses to medical treatment over the rights of the pharmaceutical monopolies to make profits.

Lula also told reporters he was determined to strengthen the South American trading bloc Mercosul, to improve the region's negotiating power over the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas. Lula's election was seen as posing a serious threat to the FTAA. However, during his visit to the U.S. and meeting with George Bush in late June, Lula appeared to use support for the FTAA as a bargaining chip for several key trade concessions from the U.S. Lula also asked for Bush's support for a proposal to reform the United Nations Security Council by adding Brazil and South Africa as permanent members.