Citing his “political, moral and historical obligation,” Brazil’s former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited five Southern African countries in November 2004. The trip was seen as a token of how important South-South relations would be for the Lula administration. “Brazilian society was built on the work, the sweat, and the blood of Africans,” said Lula, in a reference to the 4 million-plus slaves shipped from Africa to Brazil between the 16th and 18th centuries.
That rapprochement sparked trade between Brazil and the continent to unprecedented levels — from just USD 6 billion in 2003 to USD 28 billion...
