March 31, 2006

Brazilian Journalist to speak on Economic/Commercial Development in Brazil and US Relations

On Thursday, April 6, the Detroit Council for World Affairs of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies and BBK, an international business advisory firm will welcome Paulo Sotero, the Washington correspondent of O Estado de Sao Paulo, a leading Brazilian newspaper. Sotero will speak on “Brazil: Economic and Commercial Development and U.S. Relations” at 6:30 p.m., in the Mediterranean Room of the Troy Marriott.

“The emergence of Brazil as a major economic power and market in our hemisphere is an important opportunity and interest for the United States,” said Fred Pearson, director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. “As Latin America’s largest, most diverse and populous country, Brazil significantly impacts US interests in a variety of ways. From the auto and energy industries to illicit trade in guns and drugs, the political influence of this emergent democracy is felt in moderating regional conflicts, as with Venezuela and Colombia, and over territorial questions such as Guyana’s borders. Brazil’s future as an impact player in the United Nations is also vital for Washington. We have a rare opportunity on the 6th to hear from one of the most knowledgeable analysts of the Brazilian political scene.”

Sotero, who also is a commentator for BBC radio Brazil, started his career in journalism at Veja weekly magazine in 1968. He held positions as staff reporter in Recife, correspondent in Paris and Lisbon, assistant editor for Latin American in São Paulo and correspondent assigned to the presidency, in Brasilia.

In the United States since 1980, Sotero worked as a correspondent for Istoé weekly magazine and the financial newspaper Gazeta Mercantil before joining O Estado in 1989. He was briefly an external relations consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank in 1988.

A Brazilian national, Sotero has a BA in history from the Catholic University of Pernambuco, Brazil, and an MA in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University, Washington, D.C. He is a frequent lecturer on Brazilian and Latin American affairs at U.S. universities and think tanks, and has appeared as guest on national radio and television news programs, most recently at To the Point (PRI), the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Foreign Exchange with Fareer Zakaria (PBS), and the Diane Rehm Show (WAMU). Sotero teaches at Georgetown University as an adjunct professor and is a lecturer at George Washington universities and the State Department Foreign Service Institute. In addition to his work for Estado, he contributes to newspapers, magazines and journals in Brazil, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The presentation is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and may be confirmed by calling 313.577.8270. A complimentary dinner will be served.

The Detroit Council for World Affairs promotes understanding of international issues and Detroit’s role in a changing world by providing a non-partisan, nation-wide forum for discussion, analysis and debate. DCWA seeks to enrich education, spur long-term economic development and provide new ideas and cultural perspectives for Detroiters.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.