Brazil's Wise Old Man.(Fernando Henrique Cardoso)(Interview)

It's been almost a year since Fernando Henrique Cardoso finished out his second term as president of Brazil and left office. But few would expect retirement to slow the 72-year-old politician down. Nothing else has before. In the late 1960s Cardoso was arrested for his liberal views and interrogated by military intelligence agents, while right- wing terrorists bombed his research institute. From exile, he emerged as a major spokesman for democracy during the country's brutal 20-year dictatorship, and today he remains a powerful voice in the region.

Since stepping down, he's taken on projects at the United Nations and is writing his memoirs. And as Brazil has taken on a leadership role in the opposition to Western powers in World Trade Organization talks, Cardoso has emerged as a strong, respected spokesman in the region, calling for unity and strength to combat American hegemony. He spoke with NEWSWEEK's Maria Cristina Caballero recently at Harvard's Center for Public Leadership. Excerpts:

CABALLERO: In the Cancun WTO negotiations, regional leaders seemed more united. The U.S. has since negotiated bilateral agreements with a number of Latin American countries. Is the idea of creating a Free Trade Area of the Americas dead? And what happened to unity?

CARDOSO: The initial goal of having a broad agreement that would deeply address common issues has been undermined. In Cancun the countries were unified, saying we cannot accept a cheap negotiation. But some regional leaders have decided to sign an accord to present it as a political achievement. I am afraid that those countries are assuming high risks. I am afraid that things are being pushed in the wrong direction with the goal of presenting some concrete results before the next U.S. presidential election. The bilateral agreements are an opportunistic alternative that could become very harmful for Latin American countries.

Brazil has strengthened its relationship with Europe, South Africa, China, India and other emerging powers. Is that a way to say to the United States, "We have alternatives"?

It gives Brazil more space to maneuver. We were surprised to see in Cancun that the U.S. and Europe decided to have a common front to defend their agricultural subsidies. Sooner or later they will realize that they will have to change the subsidy policies. They are not only harming us in Europe; when we try to sell our products in the Middle East, for example, they say the European Union products are cheaper because of the subsidies.

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