Brazil key to Guyana’s regional diplomacy – Pres. Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali has congratulated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his re-election as President of Brazil, while Guyana continues to place emphasis on Brasília’s role in its regional diplomacy and efforts surrounding its case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Lula secured a fourth term after defeating right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s presidential runoff. According to the BBC, Lula received 51.79 per cent of the vote, defeating Bolsonaro by about 4.4 million votes. The BBC reported that Lula became the first Brazilian President since the country’s return to civilian rule in 1985 to be elected after losing the first round of a presidential election.
In a statement posted on social media on Sunday, President Ali congratulated Lula and said his re-election would allow him and his party to build on the progress achieved during his previous term.

“Guyana and Brazil enjoy strong and enduring bonds of friendship, mutual respect and cooperation,” Ali said, adding that he looked forward to continued collaboration to strengthen bilateral relations, deepen regional integration, expand trade and investment, and advance sustainable development and regional prosperity. Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo also congratulated Lula in a social media post on Monday.

“The years we worked together remain fond memories, and the friendship and cooperation between Guyana and Brazil are deeply valued,” Jagdeo said, while wishing Lula success in his new term and continued strengthening of relations between the two countries.

The outcome of Brazil’s election also comes as Guyana continues diplomatic efforts in relation to its border controversy with Venezuela.
Speaking to reporters on Monday on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Shipping Association Conference at the Marriott Hotel, President Ali was asked whether Guyana was enhancing its diplomatic initiatives following the ICJ decision, including efforts to develop a broader framework to encourage Venezuela to abide by the ruling.

Ali said significant diplomatic work had been taking place behind the scenes throughout the year.

“A lot of work is going on behind the scenes all through this year,” the President said, pointing to his international travel and the work of various stakeholders as part of those efforts.

He said an important component of Guyana’s diplomatic strategy was ensuring that countries in the region understood Guyana’s position, noting that narratives could change quickly and that the language used in discussing the issue was also important.

“This is an important part of our diplomacy, an important part of our international work right now,” Ali said.

Asked about the importance of Brazil and Colombia to those efforts, Ali identified Brazil as a key country because of its geographical position, regional influence and institutional capacity.

“Brazil is one of our large neighbours, very important neighbour. The influence of Brazil in the region is also well established and well known,” he said.

Ali was also asked whether he was optimistic that Brazil could be persuaded to join the “Shield of the Americas”.

He said discussions were continuing and suggested that Lula’s re-election could allow for deeper engagement now that Brazil’s political environment had been settled. “Now that the political environment of Brazil is settled, I think they can have a deeper discussion, a deeper discourse, because over the last year in Brazil it was heavily focused on the elections,” Ali said.

The BBC reported that Lula’s victory followed a first-round result on October 4 in which Bolsonaro received 47 per cent of the vote to Lula’s 45 per cent. It said Lula’s campaign gained momentum before the runoff, with efforts focused on increasing turnout after 33 million voters abstained in the first round.

The BBC also reported that Bolsonaro has so far refused to recognise the result and called for it to be annulled, although Brazil’s Supreme Electoral Court confirmed Lula’s victory.