Brazil: Rains and Delay in US
Trade Sanctions
BRASILIA - The death of more than 210 people
due to heavy rains and the postponement of
trade sanctions against the US for failing
to reform its cotton subsidies marked
Brazil's situation this week.
The number of dead has now reached 214 in
Morro do Bumba, Niteroi, due to heavy rains
linked to a storm caused by El Niño
phenomenon.
In this place a landslide buried 40 houses
last Wednesday. The fire brigade considers
unlikely to find any survivor because is it
hard to make air pockets.
During a visit to Morro do Bumba, Governor
of Rio de Janeiro Sergio Cabral said that
the whole society is guilty of these deaths,
because the demagogy, permissiveness and
authorization to build in risk areas
contributed to the tragedy.
On the other hand, last Monday Brazil's
government postponed until at least April 22
the implementation of $830 million in trade
sanctions against the United States to buy
time for a negotiated solution over
subsidies paid to American cotton producers.
In November 2009 and following a nearly
8-year process, the World Trade Organization
(WTO ) authorized Brazil to apply a
cross-retaliation (regulations on
registration of intellectual property
rights) on US cotton subsidies.
Foreign Minister Celso Amorim reaffirmed
that the US negotiated with Brazil to avoid
the cross-retaliation.
Also this week, Presidents Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
(Liberia), Amadou Toumani Touré (Mali) and
Sebastián Piñera (Chile) visited Brazil.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva expressed his interest in
strengthening ties with Africa and also
referred to the importance of Latin American
integration.
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