On first foreign trip, Lula will highlight Brazil’s return to Argentina and CELAC

The details of Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s international agenda as president were confirmed this weekend, as Buenos Aires said Lula will be in Argentina between January 23 and 25 — during a meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

The visit will mark a return to a diplomatic tradition according to which the first international trip of Brazilian presidents was always to Argentina — the country’s main regional trading partner. The trend was broken by the outgoing Jair Bolsonaro, who in 2018 opted for the ideologically friendlier Chile, then ruled by billionaire businessman Sebastián Piñera. 

It will also mark Brazil’s return to the CELAC, which Mr. Bolsonaro also abandoned in 2018, criticizing its stance towards authoritarian left countries such as Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba.

Lula and Mr. Fernández are expected to hold a bilateral meeting either before or after the CELAC summit on January 24. Mr. Fernández will also be among Lula’s guests during his inauguration as president on January 1.

After his trip to Argentina, visits to Chile and Uruguay are also on Lula’s agenda, though dates are yet to be determined.

Brazil has long been Argentina’s main trading partner, but the sides have been at odds due to ideological differences between their governments — as well as conflict over the liberalization of the Mercosur trade bloc. 

The economic discussion will take a central role in the meetings, with Argentinian Economy Minister Sergio Massa expected to join Mr. Fernández on his inauguration trip. Energy, banking, and monetary policy are all on the agenda.

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