Chilean President Gabriel Boric has confirmed he will attend the July 6-7 BRICS summit in Brazil, invited by Brazilian President Lula da Silva. Lula, who has worked closely with Boric, discussed the BRICS issue with him during Boric’s state visit last April, and had also encouraged him to attend the May 13 China-CELAC (Community of Caribbean and Latin American States) Forum in Beijing, during which Boric met with President Xi Jinping. China is Chile’s top trading partner.
Boric’s decision to attend the BRICS summit has provoked a lively debate inside Chile about whether BRICS membership is a good idea, including among contending candidates who are running in the November presidential elections. Opponents warn that joining a group with Russia, which invaded Ukraine, would be bad for Chile, while supporters point to the advantages of joining the BRICS New Development Bank and creating opportunities for new economic and trade partnerships with nations of the Global South.
