Mello Franco: In the US, Bolsonaro confuses partnership with subservience.
According to journalist Bernardo Mello Franco, President Jair Bolsonaro's trip to the US had the practical effect of demonstrating Brazil's subservience to American interests; he emphasizes that "the flattery was not limited to speeches" and that Brazil "agreed to open the Alcântara Base, a long-held dream of the US," in addition to "releasing American tourists from visa requirements." "The country can and should strengthen ties with the US, but Bolsonaro's gestures suggest an attitude of subservience, not partnership," he assesses.
247 - According to journalist Bernardo Mello Franco, the phrase "what's good for the United States is good for Brazil," which practically became a slogan of the military dictatorship, "is back in fashion in Brasília. Now it has been taken to Washington by Jair Bolsonaro."
Franco emphasizes this in his newspaper column. The GlobeDuring his trip to the US, Bolsonaro showered his hosts with praise and extended his vows of love to Donald Trump. "We want a great Brazil, just as Trump wants a great America."
"Minister Paulo Guedes added a personal testimony. 'The president loves Americans, and so do I. I love jeans, Coca-Cola, Disneyland,' he celebrated. 'He forgot to mention Goofy, who seems to inspire a significant wing of the new government,' he concluded."
The journalist points out that "the flattery wasn't limited to speeches" and that Brazil "agreed to open the Alcântara Base, a long-held dream of the US, in addition to waiving visa requirements for American tourists. Brazil abandoned reciprocity, a basic principle of diplomacy."
"The country can and should strengthen ties with the US, but Bolsonaro's gestures suggest an attitude of subservience, not partnership," assesses...
columnist.