Brazil Institute Outreach

Debate conduzido pelo jornalista William Waack no Globo News Painel. Análise da corrida presidencial Americana e do discurso do candidato democrata, Barack Obama.

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Encontro promovido pelo jornal O Estado de S. Paulo reuniu, entre outros, Marina Silva, ministra do Meio Ambiente, Virgílio Viana, secretário de Estado do Amazonas, o ex-ministro Luiz Fernando Furlan, e Diretor do Instituto Brazil Paulo Sotero.

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Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero discusses the U.S.-Colombian free trade deal that has been met with unusual resistance from both sides.

To watch the video, please follow this link and scroll down to "Show 405".

Visión Américas is a new web channel that features interviews with key decision makers throughout the Americas. Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero recently appeared in an interview to discuss regional stability in Latin America. Access the video here.

Articles/Journals/Op-Eds

Esta é a primeira campanha presidencial americana em que temas do interesse nacional dos brasileiros - biocombustível, comércio, o lugar do Brasil no mundo - têm espaço nas plataformas dos candidatos, como atestam declarações recentes de Obama e seu rival republicano, John McCain. O diretor do Instituto do Brasil Paulo Sotero escreveu esta opiniao publicado em O Estado de São Paulo em que questiona se o senador republicano John McCain é o melhor candidato das eleições americanas para os interesses do Brasil.

On May 13, 2008, renowned environmental defender Marina Silva, Brazil's environment minister, resigned from her post after losing yet another political battle for control of environmental policies within the federal government. Silva's decision has had major negative repercussions and has exposed the shortcomings of Brazil's Amazon policy.

Read more at the Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program The New Security Beat blog.

O diretor do Instituto do Brasil Paulo Sotero escreveu, "Os Estados Unidos e os interesses do Brasil", no jornal O Estado de S.Paulo. Segundo Paulo, comentaristas brasileiros parecem ter concluído que o senador republicano John McCain é o melhor candidato das eleições americanas para os interesses do Brasil e que ele vencerá a disputa de 4 de novembro contra qualquer de seus rivais democratas – os também senadores Hillary Clinton e Barack Obama. Os eleitores americanos não estão tão certos sobre qual dos três seria melhor para os Estados Unidos. Also found in English here.

Artigo na revista PONTES, publicado pelo Centro Internacional para o Comércio e o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ICTSD) e pela Escola de Direito de São Paulo da Fundação Getulio Vargas (DireitoGV), escrito por Paulo Sotero. As presenças, entre os candidatos do Partido Democrata às eleições presidenciais dos Estados Unidos da América (EUA), da primeira mulher – Senadora Hillary Clinton – e do primeiro negro – Senador Barak Obama – com chances reais de chegar ao poder, transformaram a campanha presidencial deste ano num fato novo e transcendental na história política do país. A consolidação, entre os republicanos, da candidatura do Senador John McCain trouxe ao palco principal um conservador pragmático e conhecido por sua independência. Os possíveis desfechos do pleito de 4 de novembro de 2008 sugerem oportunidades e riscos no encaminhamento de questões relevantes nas relações entre os EUA e seus vizinhos da América Latina e Caribe.

Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero co-authored with Leslie Elliott Armijo the article, "Brazil: To Be or Not To Be A BRIC?", in the Winter 2007 Special Issue of the social sciences journal Asian Perspective on "The BRICs Countries in the Global System". The journal is published by The Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University.

In the Italian geopolitics journal Limes, Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero writes an article titled, "Lula and Bush, an Odd Pair," analyzing the recent approchement of the U.S.-Brazilian relationship and its implications.

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Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero co-authored this article with Edward Alden. The article discusses the potential for warmer U.S.-Brazilian relations built around the issue of biofuels.

Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero participated in a Washington Post LiveOnline discussion of the 2006 Brazilian presidential elections. A transcript of the conversation can be found here.

Congressional Hearings

Paulo Sotero testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee's National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee. The hearing titled, "Latin America: Challenges and Opportunities on Energy Cooperation," was held at 2154 Rayburn House Office Building.

Mr. Sotero's testimony, as well as the testimonies of the other three witnesses', are available on the Subcommittee's website.

Chaired by Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere assessed the current status of the bilateral relationship between the United States and Brazil and sought to further the "expanding strategic relationship" between the two countries. Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero's testimony framed the discussion within the two countries' historical ties, stating that "now, maybe more than at any time in their 175-year relationship as independent nations, Brazil and the United States stand at a moment of promise and opportunity to work together and advance their own national and international interests."

All of the testimonies are available on the Subcommittee's website, under the header: "9/19/2007, U.S.-Brazil Relations."

A PDF version of the testimony is available here.

Radio

What emerged from the Copenhagen climate talks: A look at promises made and the next steps leading nations must take to achieve them as the summit concludes.

Guests:

Kenneth Lieberthal, Director, John L. Thornton China Center, The Brookings Institution; Former senior director for Asia at the National Security Council.

Paulo Sotero, Director, Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Stephen Power, reporter, Wall Street Journal

Friis Arne Petersen, Danish ambassador to the U.S.

Visit the website, to listen to the program.

President Obama, on his way to Copenhagen tonight, to lobby for his town, Chicago, to get the Summer Olympics in 2016. But the smart money says the big challenger is Rio de Janeiro, out of booming Brazil. On Point: We'll hear the cases they're making. Chicago versus Rio, head to head, for the Olympics.

Guests:

Paulo Sotero, Director of the Brazil Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center; Contributing Columnist, "O Estado De Sao Paulo"

Brian Cazeneuve, staff writer for Sports Illustrated

Laura Washington, columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times

David Wallechinsky, Olympics scholar and Vice President of the International Society of Olympic Historians

Scroll down website, until showtime at 13:06.

Brazil and Mexico are two of America's most important trade partners in Latin America. But on issues such as the environment, free trade and energy policy, Washington doesn't always see eye to eye with Brasilia or Mexico City. We look at what's on the front pages in Brazil and Mexico.

Guests:

Paulo Sotero, Director of the Brazil Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center; Contributing Columnist, "O Estado De Sao Paulo"

Jose Carreno, Op-ed Page Editor, El Universal (Mexico)

Scroll down website, until showtime at 13:06.

After years of complaining about World Bank and International Monetary Fund policies, Latin America is taking action. Hear about the "Bank of the South" (Banco del Sur) -- a new financial institution created by Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, and others, and what it means to politics and development across Latin America.

Guests:
Paulo Sotero, Director of the Brazil Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center; Contributing Columnist, "O Estado De Sao Paulo"

Mark Weisbrot, Co-director, Center for Economic and Policy Research

Scroll down website, until showtime at 13:40.

Newspapers across the U.S. are dominated by presidential primaries and economic turmoil on Wall Street. But what are newspaper readers in Paris, Sao Paulo and Mexico City reading about?

Guests:
Paulo Sotero, Director of the Brazil Institute, Woodrow Wilson Center; Contributing Columnist, "O Estado De Sao Paulo"

Olivier Da Lage, Deputy Editor and Chief, Radio France International

Jose Carreno, Op-ed Page Editor, El Universal (Mexico)

Scroll down website, until showtime at 13:06.

Outside Events

Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero participated in this two-day conference at the Pedralbes Campus of the University of Barcelona. Click here for event information.

On April 17, AEI hosted Brazil's ambassador to the United States, Antonio Patriota, to discuss the challenges and opportunities of Lula's domestic and international agenda and the future of the bilateral relationship. Michael May of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Bill Perry of William Perry and Associates, and Paulo Sotero of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars commented. AEI's Roger F. Noriega moderated. See the event details here.

Speakers: Andrew Kohut, President, Pew Research Center; Paulo Sotero, Director, Brazil Institute; Steven R. Weisman, New York Times

Presider: Julia E. Sweig, Nelson & David Rockefeller Senior Fellow and Director, Latin America Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

See the event transcript here.

Panelists included: Ana Baron, U.S. correspondent, Clarín; Rick Rockwell, SOC professor and author of Media Power in Central America; Jose Carreno, Washington correspondent for El Universal; Paulo Sotero, SOC/MA '03, director, Brazil Institute, Latin American Program.

Panelists discussed the superficial media coverage of Latin America in the U.S. press. For program details click here.