Mr. Shannon goes to Brasilia

Finally after seven months of a senate hold on his ambassadorial confirmation, veteran diplomat Thomas Shannon goes to Brasilia to smooth out the rougher edges of U.S.-Brazil relations and steer these two nations toward greater cooperation on such pending issues as energy and climate change, bilateral commerce, the Iran nuclear program, the G-20 deliberations, and the U.N. Security Council.
Upon President Obama’s nomination of Shannon, Iowan Republican Senator Chuck Grassley placed a hold on his nomination because of the shannon’s preference to eliminate the peculiar tariff on Brazilian ethanol that protects U.S. corn conglomerates like Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and punishes consumers of gasoline and E85 for flex fuel vehicles. After Senator Grassley lifted the hold, the Republican Senator from South Carolina, Jim DeMint, placed another one presumably over the little boiling caldron that is Honduras and U.S. policy there. In mid December, as Congress prepared to adjourn for the year, Senator DeMint passed the hold baton to interim Republican Sen. George LeMieux of Florida who quickly dropped it, but not before questioning Shannon’s position on Cuba. Eventually, LeMieux and the rest of the Republican caucus dropped the hold altogether, allowing the Senate to confirm Shannon’s long overdue nomination as the U.S. Ambassador to Brazil so that everybody could go home for the holidays.

These Republican senators were just monkeywretching, but their fun and games highlight how very difficult it is to deepen a partnership with Brazil when bilateral relations serve as the playground for such mischief. U.S.-Brazil relations don’t need the fun and frolic of Chuck, Jim, and George to further complicate an already challenging agenda for the two countries and workload for the new ambassador.
Shannon is some ways is returning to his home away from home. A fluent speaker of Portuguese who worked as a diplomat in Brasilia for some time, the new Ambassador will be well received by Brazil’s President and foreign ministry. In fact, it is precisely his willingness to speak truth and reason to the rhetorial rants of Senators like Grassely, DeMint, and LeMieux that give him the street cred he needs to be successful with the Brazilians. It is not lost on the Brazilians that Ambassador Shannon will be the first seasoned diplomat, rather than a political appointee, serving in this capacity for some time… just what U.S.-Brazil relations need at this juncture.

Shannon’s job in Brasilia won’t be easy, despite the swing and solidarity of carnaval in February, the new ambassador will have to dance around the issue of Brazil’s victory at the World Trade Organization over U.S. cotton subsidies, Brazil’s resumption of a U.N. Security Council seat in the face of the Iranian nuclear situation, ethanol and the post-Copenhagen climate change process, among other thorny issues that distance these two countries. U.S.-Brazil relations isn’t for beginners, but at least we have a tried and trusted diplomat coming off the bench to see if he can’t score a goal or two for bilateral cooperation. Boa sorte embaixador!