In an atmosphere of tension, the first bilateral meeting between the leaders of the USA, Joe Biden, and Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, is scheduled to take place this Thursday (9), within the framework of the Summit of the Americas, in Los Angeles.
An unconditional ally of former President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro never disguised his discontent with the Democrat’s victory and, at times, repeated the baseless accusation of fraud in the American elections.
Despite this, Bolsonaro is a key part of Biden’s calculations to demonstrate his leadership on the continent.
Criticized for his inability to prevent the invasion of Ukraine and for his management of relations with Cuba and Venezuela, the American president would be weakened if Latin American leaders decided not to participate in the summit – a sign that US influence on the continent was waning.
Therefore, the presence of Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, became crucial, especially after Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that he would not participate in the event, because, for him, the summit does not represent the region in its totality.
Faced with a hesitant Bolsonaro, Biden sent diplomatic efforts to ensure the Brazilian’s presence, appointing a special envoy to convince him face to face. The counterpart, naturally, was high: Bolsonaro does not want to be confronted under any circumstances.
According to the newspaper The Washington Post, from anonymous sources who followed the meeting, Bolsonaro conditioned his presence at the event to a bilateral meeting with Biden and to the veto of two sensitive topics: the suspicions raised by the Brazilian of the electoral system and deforestation in the country. Amazon.
Bolsonaro’s fears stem from the fact that Biden has demonstrated a commitment to the climate issue — and the Amazon is a centerpiece of global efforts to mitigate climate change.
In addition, in a hearing at the US Senate in May, the newly appointed ambassador to Brazil, Elizabeth Bagley, reaffirmed her confidence in democratic institutions and the Brazilian electoral system, highlighting the need to maintain public confidence in this system in the run-up to elections. presidential. “I will reinforce the US commitment to strengthening democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Brazil and across the hemisphere,” Bagley said.
Just as Trump did and continues to do, the Brazilian president continues to question the fairness of the electoral system, alleging the risk of fraud in electronic voting machines — a narrative that would legitimize the questioning of the results and has the potential to generate violence as seen in the invasion of the Capitol.
In the Brazilian case, the risk of violence is heightened by the loosening, promoted by Bolsonaro, of the rules for access to firearms and ammunition. A recent survey by Instituto Sou da Paz through the Access to Information Law shows that the number of people with a collector, sports shooter and/or hunter license increased by 262% between July 2019 and March this year, totaling 605,000 people with this license. registration type in the country.
It is unacceptable that, in order to guarantee Bolsonaro’s presence at the Summit of the Americas, the Biden government is willing to become an accomplice in the erosion of democracy in Brazil. Instead of approaching Bolsonaro, the US should send the message that any attempt to destroy Brazil’s democracy will not be acceptable, in the US or anywhere else in the world.
Biden must also be firm when it comes to taking a stand and asking Bolsonaro to commit to preserving the Amazon, in the interests not just of Brazilians, but of all humanity.
Biden’s commitment must not end with the Summit of the Americas. He must reaffirm confidence and security in the Brazilian electoral system and try to quickly recognize the result of the 2022 Brazilian presidential election. Thus, the losers will have difficulty in denying their result.
