Felipe and Letizia's Official Visit to Brazil & Uruguay: February 22-March 1, 2005

[Elsa M.]

From ABC:
http://www.abc.es/abc/pg050217/prens...AC-NAC-030.asp

The Princes will travel to Brazil in their first official visit to Ibero-America

The Princes of Asturias will travel to Brazil next week, in their first official visit to a Latin American country. Felipe and Letizia start now a series of State visits, with purpose of narrowing the relations with the Ibero-America.

After attending the possessions of 33 Latin American presidents, Don Felipe has become a "privileged interlocutor" between Europe and America. For that reason, the trip to Brazil will not be isolated, but will be followed by others. The idea is that the Princes make a trip to Ibero-America every year, but the calendar will depend on the agendas of the different countries, the interests of Spain and the evolution of foreign policy. These official visits will include political, economic, cultural and social contacts at the highest level.

On top of these new trips, Brazil has been chosen, as a country with which Spain maintains "intensive relations", according to diplomatic sources. Don Felipe and Doña Letizia will go next Tuesday to Brasilia, where they will be received with honors of Chief of and then the Heir of the throne shall meet the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

In the economic capital of Brazil, Sao Paulo, Don Felipe and his wife will inaugurate an enterprise forum, where will attend numerous Spanish and Brazilian industrialists. In fact, Spain is the second world-wide investor in this Latin American country.

A new Cervantes Institute

In the cultural chapter, the Princes will inaugurate the Instituto Cervantes de São Paulo, an act that responds to the will of Spain to impel the knowledge of the Spanish in Brazil.

Don Felipe and Doña Letizia, who will travel accompanied by the Secretary of State for Foreign Issues and for Ibero-America, Bernardino Leon, will move to Salvador da Baía. On the last day, they will visit the favela of Candeal, a marginal quarter in which live 5.500 people and which is well-known in Spain thanks to the enormously popular documentary film of Fernando Trueba "The miracle of Candeal". In all Brazil, about 46 million people live in poverty.

From Salvador da Baía, the Princes will go to Montevídeo, to attend the taking of possession of the new president of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez. For Don Felipe it will be the XXXIV.

[Elsa M.]

http://www.discapnet.es/Discapnet/Ca...1423280074.htm
The Princes will arrive in Brasilia next Tuesday, February 22nd.
On Wednesday, they shall visit various public institutions: the Senate, the Palace of Planalto, and they will have lunch at the Palace of Itamaraty. In the evening, they will visit the Supreme Court, the Spanish embassy and meet the representatives of the Spanish community.
Thursday 24th, the couple shall travel to São Paulo, where they will keep different meetings and visits, namely the Cervantes Institute, the Library Francisco Umbral and the Spanish School Miguel de Cervantes.
Friday 25th of February, the Princes will go to Salvador da Baía, where they shall visit the Spanish Hospital, the School-Factory of Salvador (which teaches 100 students in monument restoring) and the Community of Candeal, a marginal district of Salvador da Baía, that counts with a population of 5500 people, mostly of them living with low incomes. The Candeal project symbolizes a commitment to the fight against poverty and the creation of bases for sustainable development.
On Sunday, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia will travel to Montevideo, Uruguay, where they will attend the taking of possesion of the new president.

[Anna_R]

As Felipe and Letizia will begin tomorrow an official visit to Brazil and Uruguay, Elsa and I thought it deserved its own thread.

So, any news and/or pictures about this visit should be posted in this thread.

Thank you and have fun!

[Josefine]

i must ask is it a state visit or a official visit?

[lapopdiva]

MARIÁNGEL ALCÁZAR - 22/02/2005
BRASILIA

The princes of Asturias arrive today at Brazil, first destiny of a program of trips that in the next years will take them to cross all the countries located to the south of the United States. They will not be trips of State, since these only correspond to the King, but officials and the best way of Don Felipe and Doña Letizia to know and to let them to know them in a part of the world that have specially tie with Spain.

Don Felipe was in Brazil in the occasion of the taking of possession of president Luiz Inácio Lula and the last year he invited the Brazilian agent chief executive to his wedding. Lula could not attend the real wedding, but he as well insisted to the Princes to visit Brazil as soon as they could. Tonight, president Lula and his wife, Leticia call like the princess of Asturias, will offer to Don Felipe and Doña Letizia a supper deprived in her residence and tomorrow, with all the honors, will take place the official recibimiento of the Princes in the presidential palace of Planalto.

After maintaining contacts with the different powers from the State in Brasilia, the political capital, the Princes will continue the trip in Sao Paulo, the economic capital, in where they will inaugurate the Cervantes Institute. The visit will finish Sunday in Salvador of Bay.

http://www.lavanguardia.es/web/20050...177769649.html
another article from semana digital
http://www.elsemanaldigital.com/arti...articulo=26742

[HMQueenElizabethII]

It can not be a State Visit, maybe only an Official Visit.If King Juan Carlos visit, it can be said as the State Visit, Felipe is a Prince not a Head of State.

[Elsa M.]

I'm sorry, you're right. The guilt is mine, as I misunderstood the article from ABC, where it says:

«This way, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia will begin a series of trips with a new format, SIMILAR TO the State visits, trying to take advantage of the magnificent contacts of the Heir to the Throne, in order to narrow the relations with Ibero-America».

[HMQueenElizabethII]

It's Ok,no problem,Elsa M, i do not criticise not any of you.

[Elsa M.]

Thanks, it doesn't excuse it, but I was confused by the fact that, according to the articles I've previously posted, it seems they will be received with honors of Head of State. However, as you well pointed out, we cannot give this title, which is exclusive of the King.

[marezdote]

Leaving for Brazil. casareal.es also has an article about the trip. I would link it but any page on casareal appears on my address bar as the home page.

[Jasl]

Some of these journos always get it wrong. But then I also thought it as ok to call official visits by Crown Princes "state visits"... especially after reading some Australian articles about Frederik & Mary's "state visit" to Australia starting this week (lol!)

Will there be any gala events associated with this visit? I hope so! I hope the Pss brought her tiara with her. :)

[lapopdiva]

Originally Posted by marezdote

Leaving for Brazil. casareal.es also has an article about the trip. I would link it but any page on casareal appears on my address bar as the home page.

Here is the article, Marezdote. They are going to be very bussy.

Visita oficial de sus Altezas Reales los Príncipes de Asturias a Brasil

Del 22 al 27 de febrero de 2005

Viaje de los Príncipes para impulsar las estrechas relaciones bilaterales

22 de febrero de 2005

Tras ser despedidos en el Pabellón de Estado del Aeropuerto de Barajas con los correspondientes Honores de Ordenanza, los Príncipes partieron hacia Brasilia. Después de ser recibidos en el Aeropuerto, se dirigirán a la Granja del Torto, residencia del Presidente de Brasil, donde se encontrarán con el Presidente "Lula" Da Silva y su esposa.

El miércoles, 23 de febrero, Don Felipe y Doña Letizia visitarán el Senado Federal y la Cámara de Diputados, y se encontrarán con sus presidentes, Renán Calheiros y Severino Cavalcante, respectivamente. En la Cámara asistirán a una reunión de trabajo con el Grupo de Amistad Interparlamentaria Brasil-España.

Una vez finalizada, se trasladarán al Palacio de Planalto, donde tendrá lugar la ceremonia de bienvenida oficial por el Presidente Luiz Inácio "Lula" Da Silva y su esposa, Marisa Leticia Da Silva, tras la que se celebrará un encuentro entre Don Felipe y el Presidente Da Silva.

Posteriormente, el Presidente de Brasil ofrecerá un almuerzo en el Palacio de Itamaraty a Don Felipe y Doña Letizia.

Por la tarde, los Príncipes visitarán el Supremo Tribunal Federal de Brasil, y ofrecerán una recepción a la colectividad española en la Embajada de España.

Las actividades del jueves, 24 de febrero, tendrán lugar en Sao Paulo, donde los Príncipes inaugurarán el Foro ICEX y la sede del Instituto Cervantes en esa ciudad.

Posteriormente, se desplazarán al Palacio de los Bandeirantes, sede del Gobierno paulista, donde el Gobernador Geraldo Alckmin y su esposa ofrecerán un almuerzo a los Príncipes.

Por la tarde, visitarán el Colegio Español Miguel de Cervantes y se encontrarán con la colonia española.

En Salvador de Bahía tendrán lugar las actividades de 25 y 26 de febrero, que comenzarán con la visita a la Residencia Oficial de Ondina, donde el Gobernador del Estado de Bahía les ofrecerá un almuerzo, y continuarán con la visita al Hospital Español y al Centro Español, donde se reunirán con la colectividad española.

Por la noche, el Alcalde de Salvador de Bahía ofrecerá una cena a los Príncipes en la Asociación de Comercio.

El sábado, 26 de febrero, visitarán la favela del barrio Candeal, acompañados por el Alcalde y el Sr. Carlinhos Brown y su esposa, donde recorrerán el barrio, visitarán la escuela de música "Escola Pracatum", colocarán la primera piedra de la guardería patrocinada por la Cooperación Española, y terminarán en la Escuela Taller de la Cooperación Española.

Por la tarde, recorrerán el casco histórico del barrio del Pelourinho, visitando la Catedral, el Convento de San Francisco, la Iglesia de la Orden Terciaria y la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario dos Pretos.

El domingo, 27 de febrero, una vez finalizada ya la visita a Brasil, se desplazarán desde Salvador de Bahía a Montevideo, donde asistirán a la Toma de Posesión de Tabaré Vázquez como Presidente de Uruguay.

[lapopdiva]

Always work, work, work!! When they are going to start tinking about me?

PELAYO.

[lapopdiva]

The Princes of Asturias were dismissed with military honors to the Pavilion of State of the Madrilenian airport of Barajas before embarking in the airplane that transfers to them to Brasilia, where will be received by the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Don Felipe and Doña Letizia left today to the 10.45 hours in an official visit of five days during which they will cross Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Salvador of Bahia to deepen in the political aspects, economic, cultural and social of the country.

From hola.

[marezdote]

Anyone know what time they are due to arrive in Brazil?

[Anna_R]

Originally Posted by marezdote

Anyone know what time they are due to arrive in Brazil?

At all of the websites I visited, they say that the flight between Spain and Brazil takes about 10 hours, so, if the time is right, they'll arrive here around 6:30 PM, Brazilian time. (GMT - 3)

[marezdote]

Originally Posted by Anna_R

At all of the websites I visited, they say that the flight between Spain and Brazil takes about 10 hours, so, if the time is right, they'll arrive here around 6:30 PM, Brazilian time. (GMT - 3)

Thanks Anna!

[lucys]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

Thanks, it doesn't excuse it, but I was confused by the fact that, according to the articles I've previously posted, it seems they will be received with honors of Head of State. However, as you well pointed out, we cannot give this title, which is exclusive of the King.

They will receive full honors tomorrow as if it were a head of state visit, even though, as has been pointed out, a State visit can only be conducted by the King.

For those who don't read Spanish, the itinerary is more or less as follows:

Tuesday: Arrive Brasilia, private dinner with President Lula de Silva and wife

Wednesday:
Visit the Senate and the Parlament, eet with president of each.
Working meeting with the Brazil-Spain Interparlimentary Friendship Group
Offcial welcome with full honors at Palacio de Planalto
Prince and President to have a meeting
Lunch in honor of Prince and Princess
In the afternoon they will visit the supreme Court and host a reception for the Spanish colony.

Thursday--Sao Paolo:
Inaugurate an economic conference and an Instituto Cervantes
Lunch with the Governor of Sao Paolo
In afternoon they will visit a school and have a reception with Spanish colony

Friday and Saturday--Salvador de Bahía
A lunch in their honor given by the governor of the state of Bahia
Afternoon they will visit the Spanish Hospital and the Spanish center, where they will have a reception with the Spanish Colony
That evening the mayor of Salvador de bahia will host a dinner in their honor

Saturday they visit a Favela in company of the mayor and the musician Carlinhos Brown. They will visit two schools and will place the first stone for a day care center sponsored by the Spanish Collectivity.

In the afternoon they visit the historic distric.

Sunday they fly to Montevideo, Uruguay for the Presidential inauguration.

[lucys]

From AAPImage: Spanish Crown Prince, Felipe de Borbon (L), looks at his wife, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, as they attend a farewell ceremony shortly before departing for Brazil at Barajas Airport on Tuesday 22 February 2005 in Madrid, Spain. Couple will visit Brazilian cities Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Salvador de Bahia during their five-day official visit to improve the political, economic, cultural and social ties between both countries. EPA/Angel Díaz

Psst, AnnaR, check out wireimages!

[Anna_R]

Originally Posted by marezdote

Thanks Anna!

You're welcome!

Here are some more pictures from their departure:

Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia Depart For Trip To Brazil
February 22, 2005 - Barajas Airport
Madrid, Spain
From Wireimage