Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned rich countries today against turning to protectionism in the current global economic and financial crisis, according to DPA. "It is a mistake to think that protectionism solves the problem. Protectionism, at this point, will make the problem worse," Lula said. The president was in the northeastern Brazilian city of Belem, where he took part in the World Social Forum (WSF) a day earlier. "It is important to remember that, at the time when they were growing and wanted to sell, rich countries invented that globalization, the tale that trade could flow freely around the world." "It is not fair that, now they are in a crisis, they forget the effort of free trade, of globalization, and become protectionists", he said.
