Brazilian president Lula da Silva will visit Cuba next week after attending the Rio Summit in Cancun, Mexico.

He is scheduled to meet with both Cuban President Raul Castro and Fidel Castro in Havana on Wednesday.

The South American leader will also be at the closing of a trade and economic affairs meeting of officials from Brazil and Cuba, said a spokesperson on Friday.

Lula has attempted to convince US president Barack Obama to drop the nearly half century US economic blockade on Cuba.

The Brazilian leader has told Obama that such a move would go a long ways to improving US-Latin American relations.

To date Obama has not taken Lula’s advice.

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