New York, September 25, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Addressing American businessmen during a speech this morning at the Council on Foreign Relations, in New York, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that "whoever bets on Brazil's failure is going to lose." President Lula made a point of informing the audience of businessmen what, according to him, he told the President of the United States, George W. Bush: "We don't want to be treated as second-class citizens."

President Lula departs today for Mexico, where he should meet in the evening with Mexican President Vicente Fox. Lula will spend the night in Mexico City and proceed tomorrow morning to Cuba, where he has a full schedule the entire day. The President should return to Brasília early Saturday afternoon. (DAS)