Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Buenos Aires on Wednesday to participate in the 66th Mercosur Summit, during which he will receive the pro tempore presidency of the bloc from Argentina.
The arrival took place in the afternoon, at approximately 7 p.m., when he disembarked the official plane amid the expectation of the press and Argentine authorities, led by President Javier Milei.
Planned agenda
- Transfer of the pro tempore presidency
Lula will formally assume leadership of Mercosur—composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay—during the summit to be held Thursday and Friday. - Visit to Cristina Kirchner
The courts have authorized a special visit to the former president, who is under house arrest in the Constitución neighborhood. That meeting will take place after the summit, this afternoon. - Bilateral meetings and multilateralism
Although a bilateral dialogue with Milei is not planned, Lula will meet with other Mercosur leaders and reinforce his commitment to a model based on regional integration and international agreements.
Political and economic context
- The summit is taking place in a tense atmosphere due to ideological differences between Milei and Lula, although the bloc is making progress on key treaties: a trade agreement was signed with EFTA (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein).
- Furthermore, Brazil—under Lula's pro tempore presidency—is seeking to expedite the pending treaty with the European Union, aligning itself with its goals of multilateralism and regional cooperation.
