São Paulo – Speaking to the Valor Econômico daily this Friday (12), the Brazilian interim president Michel Temer said he is likely to travel to Arab and non-Arab countries if he is confirmed for the position.
Temer became the interim president due to the suspension of president Dilma Rousseff. She is a defendant in an impeachment trial launched by Congress for authorizing, in 2015, additional spending to the tune of BRL 2.5 billion (roughly USD 797 million at current exchange rate) without approval from the House, and at odds with the government’s fiscal target. She is also charged with carrying out an illegal credit operation by using money from state-run banks to honor social programs payments. In her defense, Rousseff denied any wrongdoings and stated that past administrations had done the same as hers.
In his interview, Temer claimed that should the Senate uphold Rousseff’s suspension, then he will take trips abroad. He mentioned China, New York City, India, and Arab countries as potential destinations, adding that he has been to those places before as a vice president. He said that during the trips, officials expressed interest in investing in Brazil, so now he intends to return and encourage said investments.
The Brazilian Presidency has told ANBA that visits are on the president’s radar but haven’t been confirmed yet. China is set to host the G20 summit – a group of the world’s major economies – on September 4 and 5. New York City, in the United States, will host the United Nations General Assembly on September 13. The Brazilian president is tasked with delivering the keynote speech at the annually-held event. Goa, in India, will see the 8th BRICS Summit –comprising developing countries Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – on October 15 and 16.
During his stint as vice president, Temer paid visits to some Arab countries. In April 2013 he went to Oman, where the Brazilian mining company Vale owns a plant. In November of that same year, he convened with the United Arab Emirates vice president Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to discuss measures to increase trade with Brazil. In 2011, Temer went to Qatar and Lebanon, the latter the place where his parents were born.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
