LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Leaders of the world's largest economies are gathering in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil today and tomorrow.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
It's President Biden's last Group of 20 summit and a tricky one. Some of the measures he's expected to sign onto are not supported by the incoming administration.
FADEL: We go to NPR's South America correspondent to hear more. Hi, Carrie Kahn.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Hi. Good morning.
FADEL: So what's the mood like in Rio right now as these world leaders gather there at the beach?
KAHN: The sun's out. It's a picture postcard day here, so that should help with the mood. President-elect Trump's return, though, and global conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine are all hanging over the summit. President Biden arrived here late last night. He made a stop first in the Amazon and pledged new U.S. funds for rainforest protection. He didn't mention Trump there, who dismisses global warming, but Biden did take some jabs at those who he says would, quote, "deny or delay" America's clean energy revolution.
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PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Nobody, nobody can reverse it, nobody. Not when so many people, regardless of party or politics, are enjoying its benefits.
KAHN: Also yesterday at the G20 venue, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was asked how world leaders should prepare for another Trump administration. He urged them to, quote, "race much faster to tackle common challenges," like climate change and inequality but also, he said, strengthen global governance and institutions now.
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ANTONIO GUTERRES: And if you are able in all these areas to make a strong bet on multilateralism, that is the best possible response.
FADEL: OK. So Trump's not there and not president yet, but he is looming large already during the summit. What are the G20 leaders going to address this week?
KAHN: The host, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist, remains unfazed and is pushing ahead with his progressive proposals. That - they include attacks on the world's wealthiest and plans to alleviate poverty and hunger. Over the weekend, he blasted, quote, "neoliberalism" for aggravating economic and political inequality.
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PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA: (Non-English language spoken).
KAHN: He says, "to reach the hearts of citizens, governments need to close that gap between the voice of the markets and the voice of the streets." Lula's been trying to position himself as a world leader, especially on issues of climate change. But here at home, his leftist party took a beating in last month's nationwide elections. He's also dealing with far-right leaders in South America, like former President Jair Bolsonaro and Argentina's ultra-libertarian Javier Milei, who are both feeling quite emboldened with Trump coming back to power.
FADEL: Now, these summits are also a lot of posturing, photo ops, but are you expecting any surprises?
KAHN: I think the wild card here will be Milei, the - Argentina's president. He's just back from Florida, where he personally congratulated Trump. He's known for his brass showmanship abroad. He just pulled out of the COP 29 climate talks, and he also had Argentina cast the lone vote against a U.N. resolution condemning gender-based violence. His negotiators here signed on to the G20's draft joint declaration, but there's talk that they won't now, especially with that global tax on the superrich in it, so we'll be watching him.
FADEL: NPR's Carrie Kahn. Thank you, Carrie.
KAHN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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