How Flávio Bolsonaro Sees the World
Brazil’s far-right presidential hopeful wants to step up ties with Washington. But like his father, he would struggle to spurn Beijing.
At a recent rally in Copacabana, Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing presidential candidate, noticed that some of his supporters displayed flags representing the United States and Israel. This symbolized his plans to alter Brazil's foreign policy, moving away from the current administration's balanced approach with the United States and its rival nations.
Bolsonaro's path to the presidency is close to that of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with both candidates facing similar poll standings. The Bolsonaro campaign has a long history of fostering ties with the United States, with his father Jair Bolsonaro adopting Trump's tough persona to win the presidency in 2018.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, Flávio's brother, has worked with figures like former Trump adviser Steve Bannon to bolster far-right politics in Latin America. Eduardo has even encouraged Trump to impose sanctions on Brazilian judges involved in his father's 2022 election conviction, calling it a "witch hunt." Flávio Bolsonaro aims to strengthen the U.S.-Brazil relationship, suggesting a free trade agreement with Washington and joining the Shield of the Americas, a U.S. initiative.
However, Brazil remains the United States' top trade partner, making a complete shift in foreign policy challenging. While Bolsonaro may align with Trump on security matters, economic links with China are likely to persist, as Brazil's trade relationship with China remains strong. The younger Bolsonaro's campaign platform suggests a more pragmatic approach, proposing to negotiate on various fronts, including China.
Written by urgent.news from Foreign Policy's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
