President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton met with Brazil’s President-elect Jair Bolsonaro in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, pledging to build a “dynamic partnership” with Latin America’s largest economy.
Bolsonaro stopped in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday on his way to the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.
“Enjoyed a wide-ranging, very productive discussion [with] Brazil’s President-elect Bolsonaro [and] his national security team,” Bolton wrote on Twitter after the meeting. “I extended an invitation from Pres. Trump for @JairBolsonaro to visit the US. We look forward to a dynamic partnership [with] Brazil”:
On Tuesday, Bolton also celebrated the “historic opportunity” Bolsonaro’s presidency presents for the two countries to build closer ties, with the aim of “expanding freedom and prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
“President Trump was the first foreign leader to call the president-elect,” Bolton said. “We see this as a historic opportunity for Brazil and the United States to work together, a whole host of areas – economics, security and a range of others.”
Both men are understood to share similar views on foreign policy. Bolsonaro is likely to take a hard line against far-left regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, which Bolton recently described as the “troika of tyranny.”
Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo, himself an elected lawmaker in Sao Paolo, visited the United States this week and held meetings with a number of senior lawmakers including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Marco Rubio (R-TX) and former Mayor of New York Rudy Guiliani.
During his meeting with Rubio, Eduardo Bolsonaro spoke of Rubio’s “distinguished record in Latin America of promoting human rights in Venezuela”:
Following his meeting with Cruz, Eduardo also praised Cruz’s commitment to a “free internet, the right to bear arms and individual freedoms,” emphasizing the need to “partner with the right people”:
Eduardo also met with Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser Jared Kushner, who he reportedly told it is “not a question of if, but when” Brazil will follow the U.S. and move their embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He also praised Kushner as a “great entrepreneur”:
Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly noted his admiration for Donald Trump. Many have drawn comparisons between their populist campaigns and positions on everything from immigration to foreign policy.
“When I spoke of the migration question, it’s because we can’t have a country with open borders,” Bolsonaro said last month. “I’m an admirer of President Trump. He wants a great United States. I want a great Brazil.”
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