Lula tries to strengthen Unasur before Milei takes office in Argentina

In an attempt to strengthen the intergovernmental body Union of South American Nations (Unasul), which has adopted a leftist character since its conception in 2008, Brazil brought together South American countries in Brasília this week. The meeting took place shortly after the victory of Javier Milei, a libertarian elected president of Argentina, and was attended by ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense from the 12 countries in the region. According to analysts, the meeting was an attempt to encourage Unasur after Milei criticized the regional integration blocs.

Called the South American Dialogue Meeting between Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, the event took place on Wednesday (22), at the Itamaraty Palace, and featured a series of meetings between the authorities present. To the press, the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, and Defense, José Múcio Monteiro Filho, defended the South American union. “After today’s meeting, there was a unanimous consensus on the need for integration of South America,” said Vieira.

Despite not mentioning Milei, the statements can be interpreted as a “message” for the elected president. This is because the “integration” of countries is not an idea that Argentines like. During his electoral campaign, the libertarian made several criticisms of regional blocs, especially those with ideological charges, such as Unasur. He has also stated that he does not intend to maintain relations with Lula or other left-wing presidents — which could result in South American organizations leaving the country.

For experts, the Brazilian government fears the removal of Buenos Aires from international discussions, as the country has always been a great ally of Brazil. However, Milei’s opponents have mistakenly claimed that he would break trade relations with countries like Brazil. The elected president of Argentina argues that commercial relations between countries must take place between private entities and the respective governments of the countries should not interfere.

Counting on the presence of Argentine representatives from the last government, Vieira and Múcio denied that Milei’s election had been discussed at last Wednesday’s meeting. On the other hand, they stated that they hope that the new government can be present at meetings like this and that it is necessary to have “patience” and wait for the decisions of the future president of Argentina.

Last Wednesday’s event was still a remnant of the group’s last meeting – which also took place in Brasília, on May 30th. “This was the first South American dialogue meeting between ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs. Today’s meeting is the result of the Brasília Consensus, the document that was approved by the presidents of South America at the summit meeting held on the 30th May, on the initiative of President Lula”, informed Vieira.

Frustrated attempt to reactivate Unasur

In May of this year, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) organized a summit with the presidents of the 12 South American countries. The meeting followed some statements by the PT member about the desire to “reactivate” Unasur. The organization, which emerged during Lula’s first terms as president, is seen as a bloc that was born with an ideological aspect and at a time when all South American countries were presided over by left-wing leaders.

Founded in 2008, Unasur has figures such as Cristina Kirchner (Argentina), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Hugo Chávez (Venezuela) and Lula himself among its founding members. For years, members of the body used it to discuss the use of resources and mechanisms to increase the social, economic and political realignment of the nations that were part of it with a predominant left-wing bias.

After the change in the region’s political scenario, some countries chose to leave the bloc. Its decline began in 2016, when Michel Temer (MDB) assumed the presidency of Brazil. At the same time, other countries were moving to the right: Maurício Macri was elected in Argentina, Pedro Pablo Kuczynskin, in Peru, and Sebastian Piñera was running for election in Chile in 2018. At the same time, the Colorado Party, with a conservative bias, arrived to power in Paraguay.

Brazil’s exit was approved in 2019, under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). When he took over the Brazilian Executive this year, Lula approved the country’s reintegration into Unasur. The context in the region, however, was no longer the same. Despite this, the PT member gathered all the presidents of South America in Brasília with the intention of reactivating the forum.

After a day of meetings at Itamaraty and the Palácio do Planalto, Lula’s attempt was not successful. The PT member received the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro, and tried to alleviate his image, relativizing the political crimes that occurred in Venezuela. The Brazilian went on to say that the dictator was the victim of a “narrative of anti-democracy and authoritarianism”.

The statement drew criticism from the right-wing president of Uruguay, Luís Lacalle Pou, and also from other leftists, such as the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, and Argentina, Alberto Fernández. Pou also criticized the creation of regional blocs and the reactivation of Unasur: “We need to stop this tendency to create institutions. Enough with institutions, let’s take action.”

The divergence between the nations and Lula’s support for Maduro did not allow Unasur to be reestablished on that occasion. The countries, however, agreed to sign the “Brasília Consensus”. The document prepared at the meeting points out the issues on which the countries converged and foresees annual meetings between the nations’ ministers (like the one that took place last Wednesday). The treaty, however, does not even mention Unasur. This is because the inclusion of the body was vetoed by the presidents of Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Despite the integration speech, Milei’s election has already caused friction in South America

Even though Brazil talks about the need for South American integration, the events of recent months have demonstrated that there is no consensus between the countries. The rift was evident at the summit organized by Lula in May and became even more evident after the election of Javier Milei in Argentina.

While Brazil foresees a pragmatic relationship with Argentina after Milei’s criticism of Lula, other presidents did not hold back in criticizing the libertarian. The dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, even called Milei a “neo-Nazi” and regretted his election in Argentina. “Yesterday there were presidential elections and, as the polls already predicted, the neo-Nazi extreme right won in Argentina. It is an extreme right that comes with a colonial project for Argentina,” said Maduro.

“We respect the vote of the Argentine people. They wanted to give themselves this government, a colonial project, but it is a tremendous threat to kneel before the North American empire, which intends to end the State and establish on the continent the ultra-neoliberal project that imposed itself in the 70s with the coups [Augusto] Pinochet (Chile), from [Jorge Rafael] Videla (Argentina), with the coup d’état in Uruguay”, he continued.

Colombia’s Gustavo Petro said Milei’s victory was “sad for Latin America.” “The extreme right won in Argentina. It is the decision of its society. Sad for Latin America and we will see… neoliberalism has no more proposals for society, it cannot respond to humanity’s current problems”, he wrote on his profile on X, formerly Twitter.

Milei gives encouragement to the right in South America

With Milei in Argentina, South America now has four right-wing presidents, in Uruguay, Paraguay and Ecuador; and nine on the left: in Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. In addition to Milei, Daniel Noboa was also elected in Ecuador this year, and they represent a slowdown in the advance of the left in South America.

While left-wing leaders lamented Milei’s victory, right-wing candidates congratulated the libertarian and talked about expanding their relationship with the Argentine. Without the ideological support of his greatest ally in South America – Argentina is under the power of Peronism -, Lula is still likely to lose ground in the region.