Carolina Pimentel
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, speaking to Armed Forces generals at a traditional year-end lunch, declared that the decision to anticipate paying off an IMF debt of US$15.5 billion shows that the country can control its own destiny.

"We are making this payment because we want to show the world and the market that we are in charge. When we do things we might make mistakes or we might get things right, but we decide," said the president.

Brazil is paying off an IMF debt which was to have been paid in installments between now and December 2007.

Translation: Allen Bennett