Brazil's Lobby in the U.S. is Little Compared to That of Other Countries

12/16/2013 - 08h28

"How many Brazilian companies and universities have permanent presence in Washington? How many channels for dialogue outside the government are there to advance or discuss Brazilian interests in the U.S.?," says Michael Werz, senior researcher to developing countries of the Center for American Progress, a study center linked to the Democrat Party.

He answers the questions himself. "Nearly zero. In this city, Brazil seems like a small country." Dozens of foreign affairs specialists heard by Folha in Washington share the same opinion. The relations between the Rousseff and Obama administrations have come to an almost full stop due to the espionage scandal and dialogue is very little.

"Brazil clearly has no story line in Washington," says the president of think tank Inter-American Dialogue, Michael Shifter.

"In comparison with other developing countries, Brazil's presence is very small," says Julia Sweig, director of the Latin American program of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The five biggest Turkish business associations have their own offices in Washington for contacts and lobby. Mexico and India believe in the power of diaspora, major Mexicans and Indian-Americans have received awards and created associations in the U.S.

Brazilian participation has increased in recent years with the creation of the Brazilian Industry Coalition (BIC), linked to Fiesp, in 2000, and Wilson Center's Brazil Institute in 2006, the only study center among the city's 400 with an exclusive program for Brazil.

"Other countries with similar commercial importance invest much more," says Paulo Sotero, director of Brazil Institute.

"In Washington, it's crucial to know how to deal with the world of lobby, think tanks and media to be heard," says Leticia Phillips, the representative of Unica, the Brazilian sugarcane and ethanol association for North America.

It lobbied for the U.S. congress to lower the high aliquots on the product, and succeeded.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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	Jewel Samad/AFP
	The relations between the Rousseff and Obama administrations have come to an almost full stop due to the espionage scandal