VZCZCXRO8240
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHRG #0063/01 2731617
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301617Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL RECIFE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0818
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0990
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 0419
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 0430
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 1056

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RECIFE 000063 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO PREL PGOV ECON EPET ETRD EIND SCUL SENV
SUBJECT: DIPLOMATIC DIALOGUE IN RECIFE: DEEPER ENGAGEMENT SOUGHT 
 
REF: (A) BRASILIA 1104  (B) 7/28/09 WHA/PDA EMAIL 
 
¶1.   (SBU) SUMMARY:  In a broad off-the-record discussion of 
U.S.-Brazil foreign policy issues hosted by the PO and Recife's 
PD section a select group of Pernambuco opinion leaders attended 
a breakfast meeting and expressed their points of view about the 
foreign policy of the Obama administration and the attitude 
toward the U.S. of the Lula government.  All the participants 
were pleased to participate in the initiative and have high 
expectations that this will be the first of many events to 
discuss the relationship between U.S. and Brazil.  They thought 
that the election of President Obama was symbolic and a 
significant change of the U.S. image to the world from the 
previous Administration, commenting on a more open dialogue. 
The group noted President Obama enjoys admiration from most 
Brazilians and stressed that Obama should not lose this 
opportunity to take our bilateral relationship to the next 
level.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The participants felt the relations between the two 
countries should focus in key issues of mutual concern and that 
Brazil now shares a responsibility to look beyond its own narrow 
interests if it is to become a global power.  They agreed that 
Brazil could partner with the U.S. on environmental issues and 
in technological innovation.  Some added relations with the 
Northeast - the poorest region of the country, but with economic 
potential - could be improved.  They also asked for a 
clarification on the role of U.S. military strategy including 
the Fourth Fleet and use of bases in Colombia. 
 
Brazilian participants: 
 
Raul Jungmann 
Deputado Federal (PPS-PE), environmentalist 
 
Andri Regis 
political scientist, professor, lawyer, active member of PE bar 
association and local PSDB party 
 
Thales Castro 
political scientist, professor 
 
Josui Mussalim 
economist, consultant, analyst and historian 
 
Renato Cunha 
president of Pernambuco's sugar producers association, Sindagucar 
 
Marcos Antonio da Silva Costa 
federal prosecutor, former International Visitor 
 
Karla Menezes 
Recife's Secretary of Social Development, former state President 
of PT, former International Visitor - deals with disadvantage 
families, women issues 
 
Jt Mazzarolo 
Globo Nordeste TV news director 
 
Claudio Marinho 
former State Secretary of Science & Technology, Special Advisor 
to Senator Jarbas Vasconcelos (PMDB-PE) 
 
Sergio Xavier 
Green Party (PV) president in Pernambuco 
 
Gustavo Maia Gomes 
economic consultant, professor at Federal University of 
Pernambuco (UFPE) 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Most of the interlocutors expressed the view that the 
world is moving from a unipolar system led by the U.S. to a more 
multi-polar era.  A few commented that Brazil has much more in 
common with the U.S. than with fellow BRICs, especially China. 
The closer relations expected between the Obama and Lula 
governments brought some to compare the situation to the 
Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations' more intense engagement 
with Brazil during the Cold War. 
 
Security and Innovation Crucial for Northeast 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The group spoke about how we need to work together on 
issues that affect the Northeast, all of Brazil, and global 
issues such as the environment.  Particularly important for 
Recife and the Northeast are Public Security and Law 
Enforcement, and partnerships on developing new technologies 
with Recife's IT cluster - Porto Digital, innovation and 
patents, and green technologies.  One participant was 
enthusiastic about ways Brazil can learn from the U.S. on how to 
 
RECIFE 00000063  002 OF 002 
 
 
live greener (i.e. using public transport or biking to work, 
trying to consume less) and proposed the idea the U.S. and 
Brazil could sign up for a pilot government to government carbon 
swap project.  Another spoke about how we could work together on 
health care issues, human trafficking and child labor issues and 
women's rights. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Some in the groups lamented a lack of specific focus 
by the USG on the Northeast, with one proposing a program based 
on the Caribbean Basin Initiative, while another argued that the 
Northeast needs a focus on innovation and partnership in 
research and technology, as opposed to more traditional 
development assistance, that plays into the stereotype of 
Brazil's Northeast always looking for a government handout. 
While the group found Embassy Brasilia's economic focus on the 
Southeast and Sco Paulo understandable, they felt that biofuels 
cooperation on renewable energy technology could take a more 
substantive shape with the Northeast 
 
Brazil's New Role 
---------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Federal Deputy Raul Jungmann in particular spoke about 
how Brazil has moved from a global trader to a global player. 
He pointedly asked what new initiatives the USG had for Brazil 
and what kind of reform the United States supported for global 
institutions.  He mentioned that after September 2001, the USG 
focused more on Asia and the Mideast, ceding leadership in the 
hemisphere, and that Brazil was stepping into what he saw as a 
leadership vacuum in Latin America.  He views Brazil as looking 
to improve its military capability so it can project power 
outside its borders and strengthen its aspirations for a 
permanent UNSC seat.   Jungmann also floated the idea that 
Brazil might want to propose a "Marshall Plan" type social 
program for the other nations of South America. 
 
Increased Partnership Possible 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The group agreed that the main areas to work together 
are innovation and technology, biofuels, education and drugs - 
recognizing Brazil is now one of the top consumers of drugs with 
many of its neighbors being drug producers.  But many sought a 
new orientation for U.S.-Brazil partnership.  For example, on 
counter-terrorism laws, Brazil does not have sufficient 
legislation, but tends to minimize the real threat of terrorism 
in part because of the way Brazil sees itself.   On energy 
security, the group mentioned the appearance that the Fourth 
Fleet re-establishment of the Fourth Fleet is linked with 
Brazil's Pre-Salt resources and reminded us the old U.S. Fourth 
Fleet was based out of Recife to protect the South Atlantic. 
Many in the group agreed that Copenhagen will be a critical test 
for Obama's Presidency, as viewed from the rest of the world. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) One person observed that Brazil's view of the U.S. is 
very positive and President Obama enjoys admiration from most 
Brazilians, but stressed that Obama should not lose his 
momentum. The participant suggested the USG act quickly and on 
the scale of something like the Kennedy Administration and the 
Alliance for Progress, to demonstrate to Brazilians that the 
U.S. is re-engaging with the world.  He mentioned that he saw a 
crowding-out effect from China's relations with developing 
countries, changing the North-South dynamic to a 
"North-South-South" situation. 
 
Moving the Dialogue Forward 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The group is looking forward to continued engagement 
and liked the idea of constituting a think tank environment for 
engagement not just with the consulate, but with a similar group 
public and private sector counterparts in the U.S., possibly 
with involvement from the Brazilian Embassy in Washington and/or 
a Brazilian consulate with a focus on a city such as Atlanta. 
The identified a need for more exchanges on the private side, in 
addition to USG programs, since they thought most Americans have 
no idea about Brazil beyond samba and soccer.  They are eager to 
further discuss ideas on ways to improve relations between our 
countries and to help increase this dialogue. 
 
¶10. (SBU) COMMENT:  The group was very sincere in its desire to 
help see our bilateral relationship grow, but somewhat unfocused 
on how best to get there.  The idea that we need to treat Brazil 
like an equal and not focus on aid projects was mentioned time 
and again but so was the desire receive U.S. technology 
transfers and advantaged trade rules.  Even thought the group 
saw Brazil as a new global player, for the most part they are 
still waiting for the U.S. to take the lead in changing the 
bilateral relationship to reflect this new paradigm.  END COMMENT 
DEL CORSO