BRASILIA, Aug 19 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday welcomed his Ecuadorean colleague Daniel Noboa at the Planalto Palace for a meeting during which both leaders set aside their ideological discrepancies and focused on strengthening trade and cooperation, particularly after Washington’s tariffs.
“Ideological discussions are a thing of the past,” Noboa said. “Now our duty is to work to provide solutions for people and our societies,” he added.
“Political differences should not override the greater goal of building a strong and prosperous region,” Lula concurred. He also admitted that this rapprochement between Brazil and Ecuador will take place in a “challenging scenario,” in which trade must be “diversified” to face the trade war unleashed by US President Donald Trump.
Lula and Noboa agreed to promote economic ties, with Brazil reopening its market to Ecuadorean shrimp and bananas, which have been restricted for years. In return, Lula asked Ecuador to allow imports of Brazilian pork.
Beyond trade, the presidents also discussed cooperating on security and fighting transnational crime. Lula offered Brazil’s police support to Ecuador, which is currently facing a significant surge in violence. Public security “in Ecuador has become extremely problematic,” Noboa also reckoned.
Last year, bilateral trade totaled some US$1.1 billion, with Brazil exporting around US$970 million worth of products to Ecuador.
They also revived a long-standing project to create a logistics corridor connecting Manaus, Brazil, to the Ecuadorean port of Manta. Noboa’s visit to Brazil is the first stop on a tour that will also include Uruguay and Argentina. — NNN-MERCOPRESS
