Biden and Brazil’s Bolsonaro hold first meeting: some nice words, but distant
- Joe Biden met Brazil’s leader Jair Bolsonaro in Los Angeles where the US president is hosting the Summit of the Americas
- Bolsonaro was a big Trump admirer and was among the last world leaders to congratulate Biden on his 2020 election victory
Brazil and the United States should forge closer ties after the two countries drifted apart for ideological reasons, Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday at a first official meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden.
The hastily arranged meeting between the two came together after Biden reached out to Bolsonaro, a populist and admirer of ex-president Donald Trump, as Washington sought to shore up attendance at a summit roiled by a partial boycott.
The two leaders sat in armchairs set slightly apart as reporters entered the room, and appeared to avoid eye contact while listening to each other via translators during their meeting at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.
“We have a huge interest in getting closer and closer to the US,” said Bolsonaro, who like Biden, largely looked ahead as his fellow leader was speaking.
“At times, we’ve distanced ourselves due to issues of ideology. But I’m sure that since our arrival in the Brazilian government we’ve never had greater opportunities because of the affinities that our governments have,” Bolsonaro said.
The Brazilian president later said their meeting was “sensational” and “way better” than he had expected, adding in comments to CNN Brasil that he was “amazed” by his US counterpart.