FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the arrival of Brazilian citizens from Lebanon, in Guarulhos, Brazil, October 6, 2024. REUTERS/Carla Carniel/File Photo
BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has canceled a trip to the Nov. 14-15 APEC leaders' summit in Lima, a presidential adviser told Reuters on Thursday.
The adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Lula made the decision to skip the meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in order to focus on the G20 summit that will take place in Rio de Janeiro days later.
Two days after the G20 summit, Lula will also be visited by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Brasilia in what is being treated by the Brazilian government as its key diplomatic visit this year.
Lula has canceled a number of trips since he suffered a head injury earlier this month, including to two United Nations summits and a BRICS meeting.
Fresh medical exams showed on Thursday that Lula remains in stable condition after the injury. According to the president's medical report, he shows no symptoms and is able to work normally, but is still under monitoring.
A meeting between Lula and U.S. President Joe Biden, first reported by Reuters, had been planned for Nov. 17 in the city of Manaus by the Brazilian Amazon.
According to a source familiar with negotiations, the Biden administration is preparing for the visit, but a final decision will only be made after the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday.
According to the source, there is still a possibility that Biden will make the visit even without Lula present, postponing a bilateral meeting between the two leaders until the Nov. 18-19 G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
According to the presidential source, if Biden confirms the visit, Lula's decision to only attend the G20 could be reviewed.
(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia; additional reporting by Luana Maria Benedito in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle and Alistair Bell)
