
Originally Posted by
Interview
The criticism one often hears of Brazil's foreign policy is that curiously you seem to be closer friends with some authoritarian regimes than with Obama, for example. And Obama is the president of the United States who probably agrees most with your world vision. But in general, it's that Brazil could be a moral force to defend human rights and democracy around the world. You never criticise Chavez, who is elected, it's true, but is not governing in a particularly democratic way. You're a good friend of the Castros and of Ahmadinejad. What do you say to that?
President: By saying that those who are enemies are unable to build peace. On 21st January, 2003, I had been 21 days in office when I went to the inauguration of President Gutiérrez in Ecuador, and there I met Chávez and Fidel Castro. Chavez was in a difficult situation, still experiencing repercussions from the recent coup against him. I proposed to him that we could set up a Group of Friends to solve the problem of democracy in Venezuela. Somebody has to talk.
In politics, you can't put you feet up and think: “I'm not going to talk to anybody. My adviser's going to talk to them.” That's not how to do politics. There was a time when Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt sat at a table, ordered fine Cognac, a good whisky, and made decisions and solved the world's problems. Today there are more people, more lead artists and a bigger supporting cast, so there must be more politics, more talking.
When I proposed that the US should join the Group of Friends of Venezuela, Chávez didn't want it. And Chávez was in New York, we brought them here to Brazil to show him that it was important that not only the US but Spain, with Aznar, which had been the first country to recognise the coup, should be in the Group of Friends. I said to Chávez: “You know why they have to be in it. The Group of Friends must have credibility with your opposition.” Then the Carter Foundation participated and we had an electoral process in Venezuela.
I think democracy is making progress, all over the continent and in Venezuela. I think Raúl Castro has given hints that he wants to do something. Now, they are a very small country and very impoverished. But not even Guantánamo was settled.
Look, I'm going to tell you something: if there was anyone on the planet you was made happy by Obama's victory, it was me. For me, Obama in the US was the same thing as Lula in Brazil, the same thing as Mandela in South Africa, the same thing as Evo Morales [in Bolivia]. I think Evo Morales's election was extraordinary. Wow! It was a country governed by someone who didn't even speak Spanish, he spoke English, and all of a sudden it elected an Indian to be president. You want something more fantastic than that? When the US elected Obama, I said there's a revolution in the whole world, a black man has been elected. It was fantastic. I'm rooting for Obama every day, to be the best president, to keep going, because it's a historic example. So I talk to everyone, I'm everyone's friend. I'll talk to everyone, I'll be friends with everyone. I don't make distinctions based on my personal relationships, I act as a head of state. As head of state I maintains cordial relations with the whole world. I don't treat anyone in a second-rate way.