The B in BRICS is Brazil. Eight thousand kilometres of coast. The Amazon forest and a culture filled with enthusiasm, a tradition in football.
In the 2000s, under the first mandate of President Lula Da Silva, a commodity boom helped the country to grow economically. Increasing its presence on the global stage.
Brazil grows on the international stage
Now, Da Silva has regained the presidency for his 3rd term. And he is determined to continue what he started.
Lana Canepa, one of the most experienced journalists covering the Brazilian government, points out that in 8 months of government, he has already gone on 16 international trips.
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“Lula’s effort to tidy up the international agenda is just one more chapter in an ambitious project to expand Brazil’s influence in the global arena, which he likes to translate as “Brazil is back’.
Which is such a difficult mission if we consider the ostracism imposed by the Bolsonaro government in international politics, said Canepa.
The capital, Brasilia, was built in the 1950s in the shape of a plane, symbolising progress.
Brazil’s vast territory and widely diverse vegetation allow the country to export all kinds of products, such as Iron Ore, Soy, Oil, Sugar and Beef.
Brazil is home for 200 million citizens. Many of them are expressing excitement with Brazil’s broad approach to diplomacy.
Artist Eli Alves, believes that BRICS should become an official bloc and have its own currency.
“You see, for example, Europe with the EURO is a way of strengthening and competing with the dollar. And why can’t the global south compete on equal terms, have a single currency, have a strong currency that strengthens a developing country. That’s my hope for BRICS, to be a new currency that can stand up to this dollarization”
China is Brazil’s main commercial partner, but Brazil trades with all the countries from BRICS.
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Brazil and BRICS
At the BRICS Summit, Brazil hopes to express leadership and share its enthusiastic culture.
Bruno de Conti, professor at the University of Campinas and Ph.D. in Economics, who will be at an Academic Forum at the 2023 BRICS Summit, noted that there are impressive gains to be made from the cultural exchange.
“Actually, we don’t know what is being produced in cultural terms in China, India, Africa, not even in Latam. So, having contact with BRICS countries shows to everyone that those are countries like any country in the world, which is producing its own science, tech and culture.”
After a decade of economic ups and downs, the economy is growing. In the second quarter of 2023, Brazil had the 4th highest GDP growth among all countries. Wealth both cultural and financial, can only provide more of the progress that Brasilia represents.