“The European Union must restore its tradition of supporting the social and political struggles of Latin American countries”

Tribune. In January, during the speech that marked the start of Portugal’s European presidency, Prime Minister Antonio Costa designated India as a priority partner of the European Union. More recently still, the new leader of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Armin Laschet, advocated a pragmatic opening towards Asia. Once essential partners of Europeans, the countries of Latin America seem to have become secondary geopolitical actors, despite the often frustrated attempts to move forward in negotiations for the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur.

The withdrawal of our region from the international arena is indisputable. Brazil is grappling with a government that is sabotaging the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and isolating the country. The lack of dialogue between Brasilia and Buenos Aires prevents Mercosur from taking action to reduce institutional instability in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Finally, a terrible political and economic crisis has caused the decline of Venezuela, once a regional power.

“The European Union needs Latin America, with which it shares strategic interests”

It is important to stress that ideological differences have never been an obstacle to interregional cooperation in Latin America, quite the contrary. Under the leadership of the Lula government (2003-2010), in Brazil, we were leading with our partners in Latin America and the Caribbean a program of continental ambition driven by industrial integration and multilateralism. Strong and united, Latin America played a definite role in the international response to the 2008 financial crisis.

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What makes the current period unique is that Brazil is represented by a government that denies the geopolitical role of Latin America.

To face this situation, which we want to be transitional, Europe must restore its tradition of supporting social and political struggles in Latin America. It cannot be limited to automatically following Washington in the policy of sanctions in Venezuela or Bolivia, victim of an unconstitutional intervention supported by the Organization of American States. [OEA – dont le rapport d’experts concluait, en décembre 2020, à une « manipulation délibérée » de l’élection présidentielle du 20 octobre 2019 en Bolivie, conduisant Evo Morales à la démission]. Brussels must reaffirm its commitment to regional solutions.

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