Blinken reaches Brazil to meet Lula amid diplomatic tension with Israel

Blinken and Lula da Silva will meet in Brasilia amid diplomatic tensions with Israel. (EFE/EPA/ATEF Safadi)

Head of US Diplomacy, anthony blinkenarrived this tuesday brazilin the midst of a diplomatic crisis israel after the president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Compare the war in Gaza with genocide.

Blinken arrived late in the day brasilia To begin a journey that will take you too Argentina.

This Wednesday in the Brazilian capital he will meet Lula, a prominent voice of the global South who currently holds the presidency of his country. g20,

On Sunday, Brazil’s president criticized Israel.Massacre“Against the Palestinians Gaza Strip And the Israeli invasion was compared to the extermination of the Jews by the Nazis.

“What is happening in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian people has not happened at any other time in history. In fact, this is what happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews,” Lula said.

Israel, which has US military and diplomatic support, announced “persona non grata“Through your Chancellor, Israel Katz.

Israel declared the Brazilian President “persona non grata” through its Foreign Minister, Israel Katz. (EFE/EPA/Khaled Elfiky)

The United States said it disagreed with the comment, making it Lula’s harshest comment yet on the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

,Obviously we do not agree with those comments. We are absolutely clear in saying that we do not believe that there was a genocide in Gaza“This Tuesday, a State Department spokesperson said, Matthew Miller.

Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro VieiraFor his part, he accused his counterpart Katz of making “false” statements and treating Lula in a “disrespectful” manner.

The war began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an estimate based on Israeli data.

Palestinian fighters also captured 250 people, 130 of whom were abducted in Gaza, including 30 who reportedly died in captivity.

Israel launched a retaliatory attack to “destroy” Hamas, killing at least 29,195 people, mostly women and children.

State Secretary will also participate on Wednesday and Thursday Rio de Janeiro in a meeting of G20 foreign ministersin which his Russian counterpart is expected to participate, Sergey Lavrov.

Brazil’s president accused the Israeli military of carrying out “genocide” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and compared its attack to the extermination of Jews by the Nazis. (EFE/André Borges)

No meeting is officially planned and it appears unlikely given the shock of Friday’s prison death of a Russian rival. Alexey Navalny.

Western countries, led by the United States, blame Russia for his death.

This is Blinken’s first visit as Secretary of State to Brazil, the main economy and most populous country. Latin America.

Relations between the United States and Brazil have improved since the return to power of Lula in 2023, who succeeded the far-right president. jair bolsonaroclose to republican Donald Trump,

The 78-year-old leftist president has already traveled to Washington to meet his counterpart Democrat Joe Biden.

President Lula has remained silent in the face of obstacles for some candidates opposing Nicolás Maduro in elections to be held in the second half of the year. (EFE/André Coelho)

The two leaders share the goals of fighting global warming, protecting workers’ rights and democratic values, but there are many other issues that separate them. Starting from Ukraine.

Lula opposes the policy of isolating Russia adopted by Washington invasion of ukraine In February 2022, given that the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr ZelenskyAnd the Western powers share responsibility for the war.

The second root of controversy is Venezuela: President Lula, unlike the Americans, has remained silent in the face of obstacles from some candidates who oppose the president Nicolas Maduro Present yourself in the elections scheduled for the second half of the year.

Brazil “has important connections and relations with Maduro’s authorities and is able to send them important messages,” the head of US diplomacy for Latin America announced on Friday. Brian Nicholls.

Blinken will meet President Javier Miley in Argentina. (EFE/John G. Mabanglo)

Blinken is also expected to talk about support from some countries haitiimmersed in a seriousness humanitarian and security crisisAt a time when the international community is struggling to create a multinational police force under the auspices of Kenya.

For Bruna Santos, director of the Wilson Center’s Brazilian Institute, after a year in Lula’s mandate, the Biden administration has understood that “they can be good friends, allies sometimes,” but not always.

He further said, Brazilians believe that the Biden government has little interest in Latin America. “It feels like this relationship is not living up to its potential.”

In Argentina, Blinken will meet Friday with ultra-liberal President Javier Meili, who is often compared to Trump.

(AFP)

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