Brazilian President congratulates Biden on election win

[Judi Lynn]

16/12/2020 03:54 PM

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 16 -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday congratulated United States President-elect Joe Biden on his victory in the presidential election.

In a Twitter post written in Portuguese, Bolsonaro said he is ready to work with the new administration and continue to "build a Brazil-US alliance" for the benefit of their people, reports Xinhua news agency.

The message also posted on the Brazilian Foreign Ministry's website.

The US Electoral College on Monday gave Biden an electoral majority of 306 votes, confirming his victory in November's election.

Biden will take office on Jan 20, 2021.

https://www.bernama.com/en/world/news.php?id=1912858

(Short article, no more at link.)

Until this move, Bolsonaro has been refusing to acknowledge reality, along with Trump. Is he going to end up on Trump's vast enemies list?

[Judi Lynn]

1. Leaders of Mexico, Brazil congratulate Biden on US election win

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Jair Bolsonaro waited longer than most other heads of state to recognise Biden’s win.

16 Dec 2020

The leaders of Latin America’s two biggest economies, Brazil and Mexico, congratulated Joe Biden on Tuesday on his election victory after a long delay that ignited criticism they were courting danger by rebuffing the US president-elect.

Mexico’s Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro both waited until the day after Biden’s November 3 election win was confirmed by the US Electoral College before acknowledging it, each leader running the risk of alienating Biden and his fellow Democrats with their extended delay.

Lopez Obrador and Bolsonaro are ideological opposites in the region but found common ground in waiting longer than nearly all other heads of state.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un may be the only key international leader who has yet to recognise Biden’s defeat of Republican President Donald Trump in last month’s election.

More:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/16/leaders-of-mexico-brazil-congratulate-biden-on-us-election-win

[Judi Lynn]

2. Biden's Win Adds Pressure on Bolsonaro to Adjust to New Reality

1h ago

David Wainer, Eric Martin and Samy Adghirni, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro spent two years dismissing international criticism of his lax approach to deforestation, disregarding climate scientists and seeing the Amazon burn at a record rate under his watch.

But with his closest international ally leaving the White House next month, the Brazilian leader will have to decide how much he’s willing to risk to go it alone on an issue much of the world agrees on.

Bolsonaro’s non-conforming views on climate and his fervor for Donald Trump are increasingly worrying Brazilian officials about the long-term damage he’s sowing, according to two people with direct knowledge of the issue. The Brazilian president on Tuesday became one of the last world leaders to congratulate Joe Biden, and only after his victory was confirmed by the Electoral College.

“My concern is that we end up not having any substantial agenda with the U.S.,” Deborah Vieitas, chief executive officer of trade chamber Amcham Brazil, said in an interview. “If there’s no push to maintain high-profile contacts between officials and business people, this may harm advancements in trade and investment.”

More:
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/biden-s-win-adds-pressure-on-bolsonaro-to-adjust-to-new-reality-1.1537110