Brazil keeps focus on China, Iran under new leader

yahoo/afp ^ | 2/18/11

[EBH]

On Iran, Patriota said Brazil would maintain the dialogue started under Lula.

"We consider it in our interest to maintain a dialogue with the Iranian government, including as a way to reduce tensions, because isolation sometimes only exacerbates a worrying situation that could lead to a conflict," he said.

The relationship with Tehran contributed to Brazil's aim of "contributing to world peace," he said.

Lula and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had friendly ties, underlined when Brazil and Turkey last year extracted a concession from Tehran to engage in a nuclear fuel swap deal.

That deal was ultimately shot down by the United States,...

[EBH]

And in other news:

Obama names dates for Brazil, Chile, El Salvador trip

If I were good at conspiracy stuff one might consider this and go hummm....

Brazil friendly with Iran

Incriminating Iran in Chile? Iran's activity in the Chile Shia Communities

And of course there is the concerns about El Salvador...""If an ally of al Qaeda and Iran comes to power in El Salvador, the national security interests of the United States will require certain immigration restrictions and controls over the flow over the four billion dollars in annual remittances sent from the U.S. back home to El Salvador." WASHINGTON, Mar 13, 2009 (IPS) http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46104