Lula: to be against South American integration is to be politically backward

The opening of the seminar “The integration of productive chains in South America”, promoted by Lula Institute and UNASUR (The Union of South American Nations) took place on Wednesday morning, July13, in São Paulo.With former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in attendance, the event featured a speech by Ernesto Samper, secretary general of UNASUR and former president of Colombia.

In the opening session, Samper spoke about the role of UNASUR in deepening the integration of the region in three areas: peacekeeping, democracy and human rights.”Today, we want the concept of human rights to include economic and social rights. Among the factors that led to the creation of UNASUR was the hope that, after the neoliberal offensive of the 1990s, which led to 180 million poor people, a new path would be created that would start with the decision to redirect State initiatives in favor of more social activities. While it is not the poorest region it is one of the most unequal in the world. So the challenge of UNASUR over the next 20 years is to improve economic conditions and reduce the inequality that we have” he said.”Our great challenge is to add value to what we produce,” he said, in criticism of the raw material export model in the region.

Lula began his speech noting that trade among UNASUR countries was US$ 35 billion in 2003 and is grown to US$ 120 billion, despite the opposition to this Brazilian government policy.The former president stressed the political challenges to the realization of economic integration.”

The former President noted that there are people in Brazil who criticize the fact that companies are moving to Paraguay to produce in instead ofproducing locally.We faced political opposition when these people should have been more mature.People who present themselves to the world as advanced and awaresay that financing projects such as the port of Mariel [in Cuba] or the Caracas Metro [in Venezuela] is just giving money to others.This is politically backward, giving in to the thinking that is the most retrograde in the world,” he pondered.

Among the sectors that Lula highlighted as strategic for integration are food and nutrition, shipbuilding and aviation. “We must create permanent working groups in UNASUR to discuss the integration of production,” he argued.

To listen to the speeches by Lula and Samper click below: