Experts anticipate progress in security and trade following Lula-Trump meeting – Valor International
The meeting between the presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the United States, Donald Trump, in Washington was positive and could lead to advancements in areas such as trade, security, and mining, according to experts and groups with vested interests in the negotiations.
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The American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil (Amcham Brasil) stated that Thursday’s meeting between the leaders reinforces high-level dialogue between the two governments and creates favorable conditions for progress on strategic issues.
“The business sector anticipates that this will pave the way for concrete results in areas like tariffs, critical minerals, digital economy, and energy, among others,” said Abrão Neto, president of Amcham Brasil, in a statement.
For this to happen, he emphasized, it will be essential to advance “with pragmatism and promptness” in the working meetings agreed upon by the two presidents.
Amcham highlighted the importance of the two governments quickly establishing a schedule of meetings for the next 30 days, with a results-oriented agenda and the potential for business sector participation throughout the process.
According to public security experts, extending cooperation and dialogue between Brazil and the U.S. in combating organized crime is likely to yield results, especially in tightening financial controls on groups and in the flow of information that can expedite investigations.
Fábio Bechara, prosecutor for the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office, who has long been involved in combating organized crime, particularly activities of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), noted that Brazil’s interest in strengthening dialogue with the U.S. is always welcome.
“Any effort to build assistance aimed at combating transnational criminal organizations is crucial to enhance enforcement capabilities, accelerate information flows, and impact crime,” he said.
Rafael Alcadipani, a professor with the Getulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo (FGV SP) who conducts research in the area of security, noted that in the West, the U.S. is the largest source of intelligence data, and a more fluid sharing of information with Brazil would boost investigations.
The two main criminal organizations in Brazil, the PCC and Comando Vermelho (CV), have as a central part of their operations the sale of cocaine shipments from the Andes to European countries.
In an interview after the meeting with Trump, Lula spoke about the difficulty of combating drug trafficking while there is a global demand for drugs and that as long as there are impoverished populations dependent on the cocaine supply chain, it will be challenging to tackle crime.
He suggested promoting economically viable agricultural alternatives in coca-producing countries.
Bechara noted that two incentives are consistently mentioned as major factors driving the drug problem.
“The first is inequality. The second is weak states that allow institutional capture, where criminals live with a low risk of being caught. Criminals always seek opacity and opportunities,” he said.
Given this scenario in coca-producing countries (Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia), Professor Alcadipani emphasized the urgent need for Brazilian authorities to intensify control over drug routes from the Andes to Brazilian ports.
“In this aspect, one of the areas where the U.S. can significantly assist is in the ‘follow the money’ approach to crime,” Alcadipani stated.
This article was translated from Valor Econômico using an artificial intelligence tool under the supervision of the Valor International editorial team to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to our editorial standards. Read our Editorial Principles.
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