Greatly overshadowed by the ongoing crisis in Japan and the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya, President Obama has been on his first visit to Brazil and its first woman president, Dilma Rousseff. This news item from Brazil’s O Globo reports that while the mood music was great, actual progress on issues of importance to Brazil were very thin on the ground.
For Brazil’s O Globo, reporters Eliane Oliveira, Gerson Camarotti and Regina Alvarez write in part:
President Barack Obama’s domestic political weakness has limited progress on the economic and trade agenda during his official visit to Brazil, government officials, analysts and Brazilian businessmen say. Without the influence in the U.S. Congress he once had to pass programs like health reform and the budget, Obama has shown no sign of making any concrete progress on President Dilma Rousseff’s central demands: a reduction of trade barriers on Brazilian products and a change in direction of actions taken to achieve recovery in the U.S., the side effects of which are a loss of Brazilian competitiveness.
Even so, the general assessment is that the trip was full of positive symbolism, such as Obama’s regard for Brazil’s claim to a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council – a gesture considered a victory by the federal government and Foreign Ministry; his recognition of Brazil as a global leader on a par with China and India; and his definition of Brazil as a strategic partner in the area of energy and investment.
Bit as much as Dilma has been assertive in her comments about opening the U.S. market to Brazilian products like ethanol, orange juice and steel, the U.S. leader has no power to decide on tariffs and subsidies. Moreover, lobbying by the agriculture and steel sectors is very strong amongst U.S. Congress members.
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