00:00Now we go to Brazil as the nation is heading for this run of election and to go deep into
00:05the analysis of this Brazilian democratic process we invite Giovanni Del Prete, international analyst that holds a bachelor's degree in
00:14international relations and a master's degree in world political economy from UF ABC.
00:19He is a member of the leadership of the Paulo Freire National School and the National Coordination of the Popular
00:26Brazil Movement. Welcome Giovanni to From the South. Thank you very much for your time.
00:34Thank you so much. Good afternoon all the audience that are following us in this discussion today. Thank you so
00:40much Alejandra for receiving me to have this discussion here today.
00:44Giovanni, what historic social gains and also guaranteed rights are at stake in this election?
00:55Well, here in Brazil we have not just an election of two different presidents but also and mainly two different
01:03projects of society being discussed during these days that are going to be elected this second round on the next
01:10Sunday.
01:11We have from one hand Flavio Bolsonaro, his promises we can identify and also when we have an analysis about
01:21his father's government, we can expect for example a foreign policy totally aligned with the US and a certain of
01:31isolation of Brazil in the international conjuncture.
01:34And on the other hand we have Lula da Silva, a president that also when we analyze his government, we
01:42can identify a South-South cooperation in a BRICS coalition, for example, a way to defend the multilateralism and not
01:51this kind of automatic alignment with the US.
01:55So just to have this example of the foreign policy, we can identify different projects that we are discussing here
02:03in Brazil in terms of social rights, employment and healthcare and so on, we can identify different meanings also in
02:13the way that both of the candidates approach those discussions.
02:18For example, Lula's government now, for example, Lula's government now, in terms of employment, we have the reduction in the
02:23working hours, for example, a strong battle of the working people in Brazil and we have, it was approved in
02:31this week, this reduction of the labor hours for the working class.
02:38And on the other hand, for example, we can identify an abstract policy that are being proposed, but we don't
02:49have certainty how could be funded each one of these proposals.
02:54For example, he mentioned that he's going to create a ministry of prosperity in Brazil, but we don't have the
03:03content, what it means in practice.
03:05So we have those kinds of discussions nowadays in Brazil, two different candidates that also express two different ways and
03:14perspective of society.
03:16And also we can identify a polarized society that can show us that each one of the candidates have one,
03:29two percent of difference and a technical tie, you know, in the polls and also of the vote.
03:36So we are on this battle, we don't have certainty which one will be the winner, but we have a
03:44daily construction of the people on the streets, on social medias, a mass movement, we are seeing both sides, we
03:50are seeing in this election process.
03:53So why is it this election also important for Latin America, for the Latin American region?
04:00Why is Latin America watching closely the results, the outcome, the possible outcome of this election?
04:08We have, when we identify the reality of the size of Brazil in terms of economic, diplomatic politics, and the
04:18largest country in Latin America, we have enormous responsibility.
04:25What happened here in Brazil also have consequences for all regions, and also as I mentioned in terms of foreign
04:32policy, we can identify an impact in other parts of the world.
04:37So we have this difference, as I mentioned in one side, for example, in Flavio Bolsonaro foreign policy, we can
04:45expect this truly connection with U.S.
04:48It means two main ways when we are seeing what is doing the right-wing governments around the region, and
04:57the America's shield, yes, the operation in terms of military coalition in the region,
05:04that Flavio Bolsonaro already mentioned that he's going to be part of this coalition, and also all the discussion around
05:13the exploitation of our critical minerals, for example, and our oil and geopolitical discussion, I mean.
05:22So all of it is connected.
05:25This U.S. alignment also means more economic presence of U.S. in Brazil to explore those kind of resources,
05:36for example.
05:37On the other hand, in the Lula's perspective, when we analyze all the previous government and what is being proposed
05:46nowadays as a fourth mandate, a fourth government,
05:50is to strengthen the cooperation bonds between the global south, but not only the global south, also having good relationship
05:59with U.S., Europe, and so on,
06:02as we can identify the surplus relationship in terms of economic and the payment balance of Brazil, for example, with
06:11other countries,
06:12as with China, and also the United States, Brazil has a surplus, a positive economic relationship with those countries.
06:21So we have this discussion as an international impact when we are checking these international impacts of what being the
06:30process of choosing the president here in Brazil on this next Sunday.
06:37Thank you. Thank you, Ivani, for your time hearing from the south and helping us getting into everything that is
06:43at stake in Brazil at these crucial hours.
06:46Thank you very much.
06:49Thank you so much.
