In an interview in Buenos Aires with journalist Mario Vitor Santos, the former Brazilian Foreign Relations Minister Celso Amorim said that it is an important convergence of events that Alberto Fernandez’ victory in the Argentine presidential race would fall on Lula’s birthday. “Neoliberalism is being defeated because it does not correspond with the desire of the people and the needs of a modern economy,” he said.
Former Brazilian Foreign Relations Minister Celso Amorim is in Argentina watching the Argentinian elections and, on Sunday night he evaluated the political scenario, the victory of center-left candidate Alberto Fernandez and the defeat of neoliberal Mauricio Macri.
In an interview with journalist Mario Vitor Santos, from Journalists for Democracy, at the Hotel Savoy in Buenos Aires, Celso Amorim said that the changes in Argentina will spread across the South American continent.
“These elections are fundamentally important. We are seeing this reaction to neoliberalism across South America. Episodes in Ecuador, Chile, Evo Morales’ victory in Bolivia, and the election in Argentina provokes strong feelings, because it is the country where a lot of things began,” he said.
“This election will turn out to be a wind of change like others that have started in the south and spread up across the continent. And this is really important for the Argentine people,” said Amorim, adding that the impact of Alberto Fernandez and Cristina Kirchner’s victory could spread beyond the region.
“In a certain manner, it is a laboratory where neoliberalism was tested and is being defeated in an election because it does not correspond with the desires of the people and the needs of a modern economy,” he said.
Amorim also spoke of the 74th birthday of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which was commemorated on Sunday in over 80 cities across Brazil and abroad.
“It is an important convergence of events that Lula’s birthday would coincide with a victory for progressive forces,” he said.
This article was translated from 247 by Brian Mier and can be seen in its original Portuguese here.
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