Tuesday 20 January 2009, San José, Costa
Rica
15 Panamanians
Rescued From Pacific
Shipwreck
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Extra-judicial Killings in Colombia
Lula: Obama Expected To
Improve Brazil-U.S. Ties
9 Dead, 100 Injured
In Church Collapse In
Brazil
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Lula: Obama Expected To
Improve Brazil-U.S. Ties
Rio de Janeiro -
Brazil's President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva
said Monday he expected
Barack Obama to improve
relations between the
two nations after he is
sworn in as the 44th
U.S. president Tuesday.
"Here in Brazil we will
certainly maintain the
good policy we have
towards the United
States. I think if he
wants to, Obama can
improve the bilateral
relations," he said.
On his weekly radio show
"Breakfast with the
President," Lula said
Obama should look at
Latin America from a
democratic and
developing perspective.
Lula added that even
though Brazil and the
United States have
always had good
relations, U.S. policy
toward Latin America in
general has been wrong
for a long time, with
the United States
supporting several coups
in the continent.
The Brazilian president
urged Obama to adopt a
special and preferential
policy towards Latin
America and end the
embargo on Cuba, saying
that "there is no
scientific and political
explanation for the
embargo to continue."
Obama will have to deal
with several serious
issues during his term,
such as the
international financial
crisis, the conflict
between Israel and
Palestine and the WTO's
Doha Round of trade
talks, said Lula.
In addition, he said the
United States is yet to
sign the Kyoto Protocol,
aimed at reducing
pollution levels in the
planet, but he believed
that the Obama
administration will be
more open to dialogue on
environmental issues
than its predecessor.
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