BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro endorsed his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Tuesday, adding his name to a list of foreign leaders who have given their support to Trump’s reelection campaign.
“God willing I will be able to attend” Trump’s second inauguration, Bolsonaro said through a translator, adding that he won’t "interfere" in the election but "it is from the heart."
The remarks came moments after U.S. and Brazilian officials signed a new trade agreement at an event in Brasilia, Brazil, with National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien.
O’Brien said the memorandum of understanding signed by U.S. and Brazilian officials will lead to an additional $1 billion in Export-Import Bank financing in telecommunications and 5G, in addition to the $450 million in transactions with Brazil the bank has already supported this year.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a better relationship with Brazil than we have today,” said O’Brien, noting that in 2019 Trump designated Brazil a non-NATO ally.
The agreement comes on the heels of a new mini trade deal between the two countries announced Monday covering customs facilitation, trade facilitation good regulatory practices and anti corruption measures.
Bolsonaro, who was elected in 2018, has been frequently likened to Trump as both share conservative and populist sensibilities. Both are bombastic heads of state who have frequently shirked domestic and international norms during their time in office.
Each has also faced criticism for their skepticism of scientific expertise, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic as the two presidents have disparaged their own public health officials. Both men have also had personal brushes with Covid-19: Both O’Brien and Bolsonaro separately tested positive in July, as did Trump in early October.
Bolsonaro has met with the president at both the White House and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, and Trump promised the Brazilian leader “the full and complete support of the USA” in 2019 as the country dealt with raging wildfires in the Amazon rain forest.
The Brazilian president joins Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as world leaders who have come out in support of Trump as he seeks another four-year term.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month criticized Trump’s Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, for his “anti-Russian rhetoric” without explicitly backing Trump. Russia has faced accusations of election interference in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, which Putin has steadfastly denied.
Read more: politico.com
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