Expanded Talking Points on Obama’s Trip to Brazil
President Barack Obama’s trip to Brazil this Saturday has been at the forefront of the media’s coverage of the Latin American tour. In terms of public awareness, Americans appear to be more interested in his visit to Brazil than to that of either Chile or El Salvador. A number of members in Obama’s administration have been guided to emphasize that the agenda in Brazil, once the president arrives, will be heavily focused on economic ties—certainly a topic of interest for those affected by the U.S.’s 8.9 percent unemployment rate. In the past, presidential trips to Latin America have been conducted under the tone of expected Brazilian deference. However, Obama’s intentions for this visit are to vocalize what he hopes to be seen as the symbiotic economic partnership between the two major hemispheric nations.
Brazil’s economy, which grew 7.5 percent in 2010, will be channeling its efforts to increase long-term investments in the upcoming year. As noted by Latin News, Brazilian economists hope that these efforts will account for nearly 20 percent of Brazil’s GDP in 2011. The U.S. is one country that Brazil is looking to for investment opportunities, a topic that will surely be on the docket of President Obama’s trip.
This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Rebecca Walker
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