http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/brazils-star-on-the-rise/story-e6frg8nf-1225991108966Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and outgoing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva earlier this month.
BRAZIL is no longer an emerging power, the B in Goldman Sachs's famous BRIC grouping of rising powers (the others being Russia, India and China).
Brazil has emerged. Whether it be through its leading role in global economic forums such as the G20 or WTO, the increasing influence in Africa of its multinational corporations, its hosting of the 2014 soccer World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, or the global adoption of Havaiana thongs as beach footwear of choice, Brazil has arrived as a nation of international influence.
Despite widespread recognition that Brazil is now a global player and the active courting of its government by the US, Canada, Britain, France, China and Australia -- Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd recently committed Australia to deeper engagement with Brazil and the Americas -- general knowledge and understanding of the country remains thin.
It is still necessary to remind policymakers unfamiliar with the Americas that Brazilians speak Portuguese, not Spanish. Most are surprised to learn that Brazil is a leader in hi-tech industries such as aerospace (Embraer is the leading producer of regional commuter jets), renewable energy (Brazil has mastered the cane-based ethanol fuel cycle) and deep water oil drilling (state-controlled Petrobras is among the world's 10 largest corporations).
While Brazil's level of income inequality is still very bad (even worse than the US which is saying something) at least it is improving while ours continues to worsen.
http://www.economist.com/node/17957381?story_id=17957381&fsrc=rss
"Brazil’s Gini coefficient has fallen more than five points since 2000, to 0.55. And as poor countries are on average growing faster than rich ones, inequality in the world as a whole is falling."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality
Brazil's Gini is 49.8 while the US is 45. The EU (31), Canada (32) and Australia (30.5) have much greater levels of income equality.