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Reuters; AP. 18 September 2002. Brazil's Lula Says War - Focused Bush Ignores Latam; Brazilian Presidential Candidate Says IMF Money Will Not End Economic Crisis. BUENOS AIRES -- The left-wing frontrunner in Brazil's presidential election criticized President Bush on Wednesday for showing scant interest in Latin America as he focuses on "his private war" with Iraq. Stepped up economic production and not foreign loans is the surest way out of the economic crises plaguing Brazil and Argentina, he also said. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a three-time failed candidate who appears within reach of becoming the leader of the region's diplomatic heavyweight, added Latin American leaders were "very servile" to U.S. interests. "I think Americans never attached much importance to Latin America. I think Bush even less ... mainly because our leaders have been very servile to American policies," the candidate, known as "Lula," said in an interview with Argentine Todo Noticias television. "I believe that Bush is less worried over the problems of hunger, unemployment, of the misery in Latin America, of the ecological problems of Latin America. He's much more worried about his private war with Saddam Hussein," he added in a rare interview with the foreign news media. The Workers' Party candidate seems on the verge of a first-round victory on Oct. 6 in Latin America's biggest country. Polls show he has almost twice the support of his nearest rival, market favorite Jose Serra of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's Brazilian Social Democratic Party. Analysts see Lula's rise as another sign Latin America is increasingly rejecting a decade of U.S.-encouraged free-market reforms that are perceived as having done little to improve living conditions for its inhabitants. "I don't believe that taking loans from the IMF will offer any economic salvation for Brazil or for Argentina," the 54-year-old politician also said during the televised interview. "I believe that Argentina's recovery, and that of Brazil, will come from the productive capacity of industry and agriculture and tourism ...not from borrowed money." In August, the International Monetary Fund agreed to lend Brazil $30 billion to help South America's largest economy fend off market jitters about whether the country would be able to meet its international debt payments. However, the IMF said that only $6 billion of the loan could be used before the elections and reserved the right not to extend the rest of the cash to Brazil if the new president does not comply with economic policies set out under the loan. Argentina, whose economy has been in a slump for four years, is currently negotiating with the IMF for new aid. Lula said that if elected, he may not ask the IMF for the rest of the money, saying "I'm going to work to make sure that Brazil does not need to take IMF money." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ProletarianNews http://www.utopia2000.org --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
