WBO and George Washington University Promote Event on 200 years of Brazil-USA Relations
WBO Press release
April 11, 2024
The Washington Brazil Office (WBO) and George Washington University will promote the event “Tightening Ties: A Reflection on 200 Years of Brazil-USA Relations” on April 22, 2024, with the participation of U.S. and Brazilian diplomats and researchers.
The event will be held at the Elliott School of International Relations in Washington, D.C. Registration can be done in advance via the link for on-site participation, as there will be no online transmission.
The first panel, from 1pm to 3pm, will deal with the history of relations between Brazil and the USA and will feature Pedro Abramovay, vice-president of Programs at Open Society; by Guilherme Casaões, visiting professor at the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Brown University; Kellie Meiman Hock, senior advisor at McLarty Associates. Iman Musa, Public Relations specialist and administrative director of WBO will chair the panel.
The second panel, from 3:15 pm to 5:15, will focus on the future of bilateral relations, and will feature Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere; Maria Luiza Viotti, Brazilian ambassador in Washington; and James N. Green, professor of Brazilian History and Culture at Brown University, as well as president of the WBO Board of Directors. Diego Abente Brun, director of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program at George Washington University will chair the panel.
“We are very pleased to be able to hold this event in partnership with George Washington University to mark the bicentennial of Brazil-USA relations. We, at WBO, make a great effort to bring together academia, organizations, social movements, unions and governments of both countries on matters that concern the defense of democracy, the environment, gender issues and so many other important axes for strengthening civil society onboth ends of this relationship. In this sense, this event is essential to expand and deepen connections”, said Iman Musa.
The date refers to the recognition of Brazil's independence by the USA, on May 26, 1824. On that occasion, the then U.S. President James Monroe received Brazil's chargé d'affaires, José Silvestre Rebello in Washington in a gesture that sealed this recognition. Today, the United States is the main destination for Brazilian exports of value-added manufactured goods. In 2022, trade between the two countries reached a record US$498 billion, which represented growth of 26% compared to the previous year.
In addition to trade, the two countries also collaborate in areas such as environment and racial issues. Presidents Joe Biden and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced joint actions linked to labor rights and also the resumption of JAPER, the English acronym for the Brazil-United States Joint Action Plan for the Elimination of Ethnic-Racial Discrimination and the Reduction of Inequality.
