The Americas | Back in the big league

Brazil’s foreign policy is hyperactive, ambitious and naive

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva goes to Beijing with grand plans of a “peace club” over Ukraine

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: U.S. President Joe Biden (R) welcomes Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2nd L) and his wife Janja Lula da Silva (L) during an arrival ceremony at the South Portico of the White House on February 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. President Lula da Silva is visiting the United States for the first time since being elected as Brazil’s president. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) — Image: Getty Images

Apr 10th 2023|São Paulo

When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected as Brazil’s president in October, his victory speech hinted at his global ambitions: “Today we say to the world that Brazil is back.” In his first 100 days in office Lula, as he is known, has tried to prove this with a series of trips abroad. In January he visited his Argentine counterpart. In February he went to the United States to meet President Joe Biden. On April 14th, as The Economist went to press, he was due to meet Xi Jinping, China’s president, in Beijing. Next week Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, will visit Brazil. Lula also wants to lead the fight against climate change and to set up a “peace club” to end the war in Ukraine. His top foreign policy aide secretly travelled to Moscow to discuss the idea with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, in March.