“I will leave the government in a democratic way”

President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) today (9) told US President Joe Biden that he is leaving the government “in a democratic way”. This is the first meeting between officials since the election of Biden. Both Participation in the Summit of the Americasin Los Angeles, United States.

“This year, we have elections in Brazil, and we want, yes, clean, credible and auditable elections, so that there is no doubt after the elections. I’m sure it will take place in this democratic spirit., when he will leave the government in a democratic way.”

Bolsonaro’s statement comes two days later New attack on the TSE (Supreme Electoral Tribunal), indicating that he and the armed forces “will not deceive themselves.” Since the beginning of the year, the president has resumed attacking the Electoral Court, questioning the polling and counting system, and attempting to challenge the ballot results.

The President’s attack came in response to a statement by the President of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Minister Edson Fachin, who said last month that Elections are a matter of the “unarmed forces”. After successive questions from the military for the electoral process. All questions sent by the armed forces to court were answered, and Bolsonaro began using them to try to raise doubts about electronic voting machines.

The armed forces discover hundreds of weaknesses [nas urnas], making nine suggestions, he did not like. Elections for the non-armed forces. What did they call him, come on? To play what? I am the commander of the armed forces. We will not play fools. I have an obligation to work. “I’ve played within the four lines, and I don’t find a single word of my own, no gesture, or act outside the constitution,” Bolsonaro said.

as shown UOLHowever, despite sending many questions, The military had a timid participation in the security tests of the ballot boxes.

The meeting between politicians took place nearly a year and a half after Biden became the 46th president of the United States, on January 20, 2021. Bolsonaro was a supporter of the former president. Donald Trump They even wondered about the US elections that Biden won. According to columnist Jamil Shedd, Bolsonaro was already trying to meet the US president months after the US election, always without success.

Ukraine and the epidemic

Along with Biden, the president criticized what he called the “stay-at-home policy, we’ll see you later” when justifying the country’s economic situation and the high rate of food inflation, which puts pressure on the poorest sections of the population.

Bolsonaro also told the US president that Brazil is “available” to build a way out of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which would have exacerbated the Brazilian economic scenario.

We are sorry for the conflicts [na Ucrânia]But I have a country to run. Because of his dependence, we must always be careful, because the economic consequences of the epidemic, with the wrong policy of “stay at home, we will see the economy later”, aggravated by the war 10 thousand kilometers from Brazil, harm us all, and there in Brazil, especially For the most humble people,” he said.

Amazon and democracy

Opening the bilateral meeting between the two presidents, Biden said that Brazil has strong electoral institutions, and is a “vibrant democracy.” In the introduction to the meeting, North America emphasized that the countries had “common values”.

According to the President of the United States, there is an interest in helping Brazil’s economic recovery. Biden also said he would talk about climate and environmental issues with Bolsonaro.

“You’re trying to protect the Amazon and I think the rest of the world needs help doing that because it’s a very big responsibility,” Biden told Bolsonaro. “I’d like to hear your opinion on this issue.”

Shortly after the two presidents’ statements to the press, reporters were instructed to leave the conference room without having their questions answered. Before the meeting, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Biden will discuss holding “democratic, transparent and open elections” with Bolsonaro. The President of Brazil, on the other hand, meant Show the colleague the importance of the state for the food security of the planetAnd he will defend what the state has done on the environmental issue.

Bolsonaro says relationship with Biden ‘more than appeal’

After meeting with Biden, Bolsonaro told CNN that the relationship between the politicians “more than once has been resumed, has been strengthened” and he expected “new business” with the United States.

The Brazilian president stressed that Biden is “committed to cooperating” with the country. “As two civilized nations do.” Bolsonaro noted that the two even discussed the Amazon. “(Biden) agrees with us. It’s a very big thing, Brazil is an example of environmental conservation around the world.”

Bolsonaro described the private conversation between the two as “exceptional,” which, he said, lasted about 30 minutes. He said he was “happy” to meet. “We are in tune with practically everything. It has been very good for us. We can go back to Brazil today. Mission accomplished.”

In addition to the Amazon issue, Bolsonaro made it clear that he also spoke to Biden about the war between Ukraine and Russia, which he said the US president was “concerned about.” Moreover, according to the President of Brazil, a cooperation agreement regarding the fight against organized crime was discussed.

Bolsonaro says he has ‘back foot’ with the US elections in 2020

On the eve of the bilateral meeting, President Jair Bolsonaro said he had information that left him “in a weak position” with the election that led to the victory of the President of the United States, Joe Bidenin 2020.

“Who says that? [sobre fraude nas eleições dos EUA] It’s the American people. I will not go into detail about the sovereignty of another country. Now, Trump has done very well and we have a lot to worry about. “We don’t want that to happen in Brazil,” Bolsonaro said in an interview with SBT News.

Trump has challenged the results in a US court, and the judiciary has rejected all of his requests. Bolsonaro, who will run for re-election in October, is also skeptical of Brazil’s electronic voting system without giving reasons.

In the interview, Bolsonaro said that Biden meeting to be held this weekIt could be a new beginning in Brasilia-Washington relations, depending on the dynamics that the US president embraces in the meeting.

When asked if Biden could pressure him on the environmental issue, particularly deforestation in the Amazon, Bolsonaro said he didn’t think that would happen.

“In my opinion, he wouldn’t want to impose anything on what I should do in the Amazon,” he said. “I think he knows me, and he should have information from those who know me.”

* With Reuters and Anas