In the coming days, President Jair Bolsonaro (without party), accompanied by Ministers and Secretaries, will participate in the G20 meeting in Rome, Italy.
Leaders of the world’s 20 richest countries are expected to discuss three priority topics: economic recovery after the pandemic, climate change and challenges related to the global public health agenda.
Speaking on behalf of the Brazilian government, the Foreign Ministry’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Ambassador Sarquis José Buainain Sarquis, said in a recent interview that Brazil should primarily deal with aspects related to vaccines, trade, environment and development during the meeting. .
In the first key, there is an expectation that he will advocate for expanded access of COVID-19 immunization agents to the most vulnerable countries and diversification of vaccine production capacity in the Global South.
In the second, Brazil should strengthen the defense of free trade and criticize national programs associated with agricultural subsidies, practiced mainly by the United States, European countries, China and India. The government’s argument is that it artificially distorts product prices, affecting competitiveness and jeopardizing supplies and food security around the world.
On the third front, the Brazilian government should prefer discussing renewable energy sources and sustainable development programs. It should also advocate for carbon emission reduction targets aimed at controlling global warming. It is worth noting that the G20 summit coincides with the launch of the COP26 conference in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Finally, government officials claim that the Brazilian delegation will present an optimistic view of the country’s macroeconomic conditions and those related to social inclusion, as well as advocate tax adjustments between countries and increased investments in Brazil, especially in infrastructure.
This whole list will come in due course. These are important topics that will put Brazil where we want to see it. But the problem is that the government’s agenda for the G-20 meeting lacks legitimacy. More than that, it lends itself to referring to Brazil as a country that cannot, once again, be taken seriously.
It is not enough to rehearse a discourse on ‘what the international community wants to hear’. Proposals must be based on reality. They are based on concrete commitments to produce any positive effects.
Reality will undress Brazil and leave us exposed:
- How can we talk about encouraging vaccination if the president of Brazil is the only leader of the group that did not get vaccinated against Covid-19?
- How can we talk about competitiveness in trade if we ignore the social and environmental provisions and the productive changes that result from them?
- How do we talk about sustainability in light of the successive records of destruction progress recorded under the current administration?
- How can we talk about the business environment and attracting investment when we see a monetary, financial and exchange crisis that weaken the balance achieved with the implementation of the real plan?
To say the least, the situation in Brazil before the G-20 meeting is embarrassing.
It never made sense to say that “everyone who has a mouth goes to Rome.” In addition to the fictional narratives that the Brazilian government is trying to promote, there are many insiders in the G20.
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