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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 20 March 2019

Trump buddies up with Bolsonaro, the ‘Trump of the Tropics’

By JILL COLVIN and PETER his virtues. And it renewed appeared eager to deliver.
PRENGAMAN focus on the growing wave He announced he would
Associated Press of populist strongmen who back Brazil’s effort’s to join
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- have captured voters’ sup- the Organisation for Eco-
dent Donald Trump wel- port with blunt admonitions nomic Co-operation and
comed Brazil’s new far- of “political correctness” Development, while float-
right leader to the White and hardline immigration ing the idea of full NATO
House Tuesday and made views. membership, though he
clear that flattery pays. As they sat down for the said he’d “have to talk to
Brazilian President Jair Bol- first time, Trump hailed Bol- a lot of people” for Brazil to
sonaro — the “Trump of the sonaro’s run as “one of the join the organization.
Tropics”— ran an unabash- incredible campaigns,” However, James Stavri-
edly pro-Trump, pro-Amer- saying he was “honored” dis, a retired Navy admiral
ican campaign last year, it had drawn comparisons who was the Supreme Al-
emulating Trump in tone to his own 2016 victory. lied Commander at NATO
and style. It seems to have President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Brazilian And he predicted the two from 2009 to 2013, said
paid off for Bolsonaro on his President Jair Bolsonaro in the Oval Office of the White House, would have a “fantastic Brazil does not qualify for
first official trip to Washing- Tuesday, March 19, 2019, in Washington. working relationship,” tell- full membership under the
ton. Associated Press ing reporters at a joint press North Atlantic Treaty of
At a joint news conference, and military coordination. the North Atlantic alliance. conference that they have 1949.
Trump announced that Trump even said he’d be The showing was the latest “many views” in common. “The idea of formal mem-
he’d agreed to designate open to granting full NATO example of the premium The two also exchanged bership is a nonstarter in ev-
Brazil a “major non-NATO membership to Latin Amer- Trump puts on personal re- soccer jerseys in a sign of ery dimension — the treaty
ally” — something Brazil ica’s largest and most pop- lationships and the extent their budding friendship. doesn’t allow it, the Brazil-
had pursued to smooth ulous nation, even though to which he’s willing to Bolsonaro was equally ians wouldn’t want it and
U.S. weapons purchases Brazil doesn’t quality to join work with those who sing complimentary, predicting the Europeans wouldn’t
Trump would win re-elec- approve,” Stavridis said in
tion in 2020 and drawing an email exchange.
parallels between their ef- The efforts came as both
forts. countries continue to de-
Standing side-by-side in the nounce the crisis in Vene-
White House Rose Garden, zuela and called on mem-
Bolsonaro said their two bers of the Venezuelan
countries “stand side by military to end their support
side in their efforts to ensure for President Nicolas Madu-
liberties and respect to tra- ro. Both the U.S. and Brazil
ditional family lifestyles, re- have recognized opposi-
spect to God, our Creator, tion leader Juan Guaido
against the gender ideolo- as Venezuela’s legitimate
gy or the politically correct leader, and Trump reiter-
attitudes and against fake ated that “all options” to
news.” The embrace repre- address Venezuela’s eco-
sents a shift in U.S.-Brazilian nomic and political crisis
relations. In 2013, leaks from remain on the table.
Edward Snowden revealed The leaders also were ex-
that the National Security pected to discuss a range
Agency had wiretapped of other issues, including
conversations of former expanding trade relations
President Dilma Rousseff, and increasing U.S. private-
leading to several years of sector investment in Brazil.
tense relations between Bolsonaro has much in
the nations. common with Trump. He,
Bolsonaro had arrived in too, ran an insurgent, so-
the U.S. with a half a dozen cial media-powered cam-
ministers and a goal of ex- paign. And like Trump, he
panding trade, diplomatic has blasted unflattering
and military cooperation stories as “fake news” and
between the two largest used Twitter and Facebook
economies in the Western to bypass mainstream
Hemisphere. And Trump news organizations.q