Brazil to restore trade, political ties with Cuba, says Lula aide
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Brazil intends to restore trade and political ties with Cuba, a top foreign policy aide to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday.
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The presidents of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, and Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, met in Paris on Thursday. (Cuba Si)
Brazil has expressed its intention to mend both trade and political relations with Cuba, as conveyed by a senior foreign policy advisor to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. This announcement followed a meeting in Havana between the Brazilian advisor and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
During the period when Brazil was governed by Lula's leftist Workers Party from 2003 to 2016, the ties between Brazil and Cuba were robust. However, under the leadership of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who held far-right views, these relations deteriorated significantly.
In 2019, during Bolsonaro's first year in office, Brazil took the unprecedented step of voting against an annual United Nations resolution that criticized and called for an end to the US economic embargo on Cuba, a country under Communist rule.
Nevertheless, with Lula resuming the presidency in January for his third non-consecutive term, Brazil, as the largest economy in Latin America, has been actively seeking to rekindle its connections with the Caribbean island nation.
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Lula's advisor, Celso Amorim, underscored the desire to foster a strong friendship between Brazil and Cuba during the visit to Havana. He noted that this renewed rapport contributes not only to regional peace but also aligns with the ultimate goals of diplomacy, including economic growth.
Amorim, who has previously served as foreign minister under both Lula and former President Itamar Franco, also revealed plans for upcoming visits by groups of healthcare specialists and representatives from Brazil's agricultural sector to Cuba.
It's worth mentioning that Cuba played a crucial role in Brazil's "More Doctors" program, which was initiated in 2013 to enlist foreign doctors, particularly in remote areas of the country. However, Bolsonaro, a vocal critic of the program, suspended it during his tenure, leading to tensions between the Cuban government and his administration.
Lula and Diaz-Canel had already engaged in discussions in June, during a meeting in Paris, which the Cuban leader characterized as a "fraternal" exchange.
