Marcelo Rech

The North American president arrives in Brasilia this Saturday to comply with a schedule of strong symbolic tenor.

Is that so. Barack Obama doesn´t come to Brazil to make deals.

The North American Embassy classifies the travel as historical, but that nobody expects for any positive surprise.

The president of the United States arrives with an expressive group. More quantity than quality.

The image of the United States in the whole world is still the worst. It isn´t different in Brazil.

The North American government – Democratic or Republican, whatever – usually looks at the Latin America only when its interests are endangered.

Obama didn´t manage to become a western leader. The whole expectation produced in the region after his election is already gone for a long time.

Practically nothing is expected from Washington.

The United States keep on being a racist, imperialist country and that only gives a hand to those who are willing to bend over.

With difficulty, the visit of Barack Obama will mark a new era in the North American relationship with the Latin America.

Besides, he reaches Brazil under new administration.

Barack Obama, that nominated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as “The Man” will go up the ramp of the Planalto Palace in the company of Dilma Rousseff, ex-guerrilla soldier and ideologically of Left.

He will meet a Chief of State willing to introduce a new form of governing.

A president that searches for results in a country that for eight years was governed by a person who was almost a circus artist.

Lula and Dilma are opposed.

She was his minister. He, her predecessor.

She collects and demands. He laughed at everything, principally at the disgrace of others, inclusive at the crisis in the United States.

He left a country, benefited by the international peace, with a stratospheric hole.

She seems willing to put the things in the axles.

He was intimidated most times. She already framed the military in at least two opportunities, in a clear and vehement form.

Definitely, Dilma is not Lula. She is not impressed by the presence of the president of the United States.

Chatter won’t lead to anything.

Dilma Rousseff wants to know what’s up with Barack Obama and Barack Obama tries to decipher this woman who governs the biggest Latin-American country.

The United States speak of deepening the relation but, in concrete terms, what does that mean?

Ok. The two need each other because of economical, commercial, political and strategic reasons. So what?

Hence they will sign a bunch of agreements, but things will be made in eye-to-eye. If there is chemistry, better.

The rest is perfumery.

Marcelo Rech is journalist, editor of the InfoRel and specialist in International Relations, Strategies & Policies of Defense and Terrorism & Counter-Insurgency. E-mail: inforel@inforel.org