Will Obama’s Brazil visit differ from those of other presidents?
George W. Bush and Lula in São Paulo in 2007
Barack Obama won’t be the first U.S. president to travel to Brazil — the Rio tabloid O Dia today published a roundup of previous POTUS visits including Bush Jr.’s 2007 photo-op with Lula, Bill Clinton’s 1997 meeting with Pele and Bush Sr.’s 1992 appearance alongside former Brazilian president Fernando Collor. But as the U.S. president makes the journey again, he’s going to arrive in a very different country this time around.
Brazil now boasts the seventh-largest economy in the world, it’s set to become a top oil-producer and it’s a world leader in biofuel production. Not to mention the fact that its vast population is a huge potential market for American consumer products. While presidential visits to developing nations often focus on aid, this one is likely to be all about trade.
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