Rio, November 14, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Brazil risk factor will decrease, if the experience of Lula's administration, the first left-wing president in the country's history, is successful. This analyis was presented today at the American Chamber of Commerce, in Rio de Janeiro, by Bernard Pasquier, director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The IFC is the financial arm of the World Bank, and Brazil is its best client country.

Pasquier referred to the possibility of a structural decline in the Brazil risk factor, repeating the example of what occurred in France, after François Mitterand, and in Spain, after Felipe González. Pasquier regarded as positive the rotation of power between incument and opposition parties in the government, as is occurring now in Brazil, because "it will provide security for investments," with the preservation of companies' assets. Pasquier expressed optimism over Brazil's medium-term future (three to four years). (DAS)