– Brazil stands again with open arms to cooperate with our Argentine colleagues, says Lula da Silva in the presidential palace in Buenos Aires. – It is about trade and economics. But also about science, technology, culture and politics, says the Brazilian president. He stands with his Argentinian colleague Alberto Fernandez, whom he refers to as “my good friend”. The official relations between South America’s two largest countries are again characterized by friendship. Lula da Silva attaches great importance to cooperation with Argentina. Photo: AGUSTIN MARCARIAN / Reuters In recent years, relations between the two countries’ authorities have been extremely cold. And Lula da Silva apologizes for the behavior of his predecessor, the right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro: – I want to apologize to the Argentine people for all the rudeness of Brazil’s previous president. And I apologize for all the insults he made towards my colleague Alberto Fernandez, says President Lula da Silva. Demanding neighborhood It is not the first time that Brazil and Argentina have been in conflict. The two neighbors here in South America have a long history of war and enmity. Tango legend Carlos Gardel is the foremost symbol of Argentina’s heyday in the 1920s. Photo: ANDRES STAPFF / REUTERS – It was an extension and a repetition of the conflict between the colonial powers Portugal and Spain, says Brazilian commentator Filicio Mulinari on his YouTube channel. – Brazil and Argentina were at war in the 19th century. Later, the relationship was characterized by mistrust and conflict, he says. In the 1920s, Argentina was one of the richest countries in the world. The expression “rich as an Argentine” was well known. At the same time, Brazil was very poor, with huge social differences, says the commentator. – We had a strong inferiority complex towards the Argentines. They bowed their heads to no one, and openly showed that they were superior to us. – This has characterized the relationship between our two countries right up to our time, says commentator Filicio Mulinari. Self-image fades But in recent decades, Argentina’s economy has been in steep decline. Strikes and demonstrations have characterized the country. The previously so rich Argentines have become poor, and their self-image has greatly faded. Workers in Buenos Aires demonstrate against ever-deteriorating living conditions. Photo: Arnt Stefansen / news At the same time, Brazil has become the sovereign superpower in Latin America, and the changes have largely removed the Brazilians’ complexes. But an incident a year and a half ago shows that it will not take long before they come to the surface again. – The Brazilians came from the primeval forest, we came by boat from Europe, said Argentina’s president Alberto Fernandes at a press conference. Then there was an uproar here in Brazil, and he had to apologize. Perhaps it’s no wonder that Brazilians tell jokes like this: “What’s the best trade in the world? To buy an Argentine for what he is worth, and sell him for what he thinks he is worth”. Crisis and cooperation Two crisis-stricken countries met in Buenos Aires last week. The worst is in Argentina, where inflation is approaching 100 percent. If the land had been a business, it would have ended up in the bankruptcy court a long time ago. What can Lula da Silva and Alberto Fernandez do for each other? – Why not try to introduce a common currency here in South America? asks Brazil’s president. In time, I think it will happen. And we need to become less dependent on the US dollar, he says. Two neighboring countries in crisis meet in Buenos Aires. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert / Brazil’s government But Lula knows very well that in the short term it is politically impossible to merge Brazil’s relatively strong real with Argentina’s extremely weak peso. Instead, the two leaders adopt several other measures: Brazil offers financial guarantees to banks that will support new projects, while Argentina will contribute “hard currency” such as grain, oil and gas. There is talk of a new “reserve currency” which will contribute to increased trade between South America’s two largest economies.
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Brazil and Argentina bury the hatchet – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
