Why Iran鈥檚 Ahmadinejad is warmly welcomed in Brazil
When Brazilian President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva 鈥� dubbed by US President Barack Obama 鈥渢he most popular politician on earth鈥� 鈥� hosted Iran鈥檚 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 叠谤补蝉铆濒颈补 today, he was doing what Mr. Obama has taken heat for proposing: engage Iran without preconditions.
The difference? Mr. da Silva (known as Lula) "engaged" with a publicized series of hand clasps, smiles 鈥� and a prolonged embrace that his American counterpart presumably would avoid. (Watch the O Globo video .)
It's the first visit by an Iranian president to Brazil. Mr. Ahmadinejad鈥檚 trip to the world鈥檚 fourth largest democracy 鈥� part of a five-country tour also slated to include Gambia, Senegal, Venezuela, and Bolivia 鈥� comes after Iran sank international hopes that it would follow through on a recent deal to ship most of its enriched uranium out of the country. On his Asia tour, Mr. Obama said Iran would face 鈥渃onsequences鈥� if it did not show good faith.
But in Brazil, the Iranian leader will get a reprieve from Western threats of sanctions. With Lula, Ahmadinejad 鈥� and his entourage of businessmen 鈥� will discuss opportunities to increase and diversify commerce as well as boost cooperation in nanotechnology, biotechnology, agriculture, and energy, according Brazil鈥檚 Foreign Ministry. An Iranian deputy foreign minister said that Tehran hopes to increase trade with Brazil from $2 billion to $15 billion in the field of petrochemicals, agriculture, and medicine, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The trip to Brazil offers Ahmadinejad a chance to change the global narrative, one that's been largely focused on Iran's nuclear ambitions.
"There's a clear pattern of Iranian efforts to reach beyond the traditional global discussions that its been engaged with, because those discussions tend to be about ways to limit Iran鈥檚 influence,鈥� says Eric Farnsworth, vice president of Council of the Americas, a New York consultancy. Mr. Farnsworth testified at a Congressional hearing in October about Iran鈥檚 reach into Latin America. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful opportunity for the Iranian leader to expand [his country's] reach.鈥�
So what鈥檚 in it for Brazil? In addition to the potential trade incentives, Brazil may be welcoming Ahmadinejad as part of its own effort to play a role as Middle East peacemaker. This month, Brazil hosted Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres, the first such visit by an Israeli president in 40 years.
But Brazil鈥檚 Middle East policy is eclectic by American standards. When he hosted Israel's Mr. Peres, Lula discussed increased economic and defense cooperation. On the other hand, Brazil is the rare major Western power to publicly defend Iran鈥檚 development of a nuclear program 鈥� for peaceful purposes. And when speaking with Mr. Abbas in the northeastern city of Salvador last week, Lula declared that Israeli settlement expansion into the West Bank must stop immediately.
Were Brazil-Iran relations just economic, Farnsworth says, there would be no need for a polemical visit by the Iranian head of state 鈥� they could just swap ministers and businessmen.
Though sovereign nations can invite whomever they please, 鈥渋t鈥檚 unnecessary. There鈥檚 no compelling reason why the president of Brazil has to have a visit from the president of Iran other than to say, 鈥業 can鈥�,鈥� Farnsworth says. He notes that the timing of the visit is 鈥減erfectly awful,鈥� since it comes as other international powers are trying to ramp up pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions.
Even if Lula is looking for a negotiator role in the Middle East, Ahmadinejad, in a , seemed to be hoping for more than a mediator. His responses to questions posed in English were then translated into Portuguese subtitles:
鈥淭he world needs a new economic order. Iran and Brazil have independent positions in relation to the international situation. 鈥� The two can work together to help create a new international order.鈥�
The US has not been pleased by Ahmadinejad鈥檚 recent thrusts into its diplomatic backyard. Since Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005, Iran has opened new embassies in Colombia, Nicaragua, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Bolivia 鈥� and added ones to Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Venezuela, according to the Washington Post.
But Ahmadinejad鈥檚 visit doesn鈥檛 come totally from the geopolitical left field.
Brazil hosts a significant Shiite Muslim population in the states of S茫o Paulo and 笔补谤补苍谩. While gays, Jews, 海角大神s, and Holocaust survivors protested against his visit Sunday on Rio de Janeiro鈥檚 Ipanema beach, a counter-display of support upon Ahmadinejad鈥檚 arrival made for an even rarer sight in Brazil: Women and girls in headscarves and men waving Iranian and Brazilian flags, chanting the state guest鈥檚 name. (Watch the O Globo video .)
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