Biden Win A Loss for Brazil's 'Tropical Trump'
Biden Win A Loss for Brazil's 'Tropical Trump'
"Trump's loss weakens Bolsonaro. It makes him look more isolated," said AS/COA's Brian Winter to AFP.
US President-elect Joe Biden's victory is a loss for the man known as the "Tropical Trump," Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whose fervent endorsement of the Republican incumbent leaves him isolated abroad and vulnerable at home, analysts say.
As congratulations from world leaders for Biden poured in Saturday, Bolsonaro's silence spoke volumes…
"Trump's loss weakens Bolsonaro. It makes him look more isolated," said Brian Winter, vice president of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas.
"It means more negative attention on Bolsonaro, who will suddenly become the face of a certain brand of right wing politics. It will call more attention to his actions in the Amazon.
"In a nutshell, there's a chance that Bolsonaro becomes the world's bogeyman for a certain portion of global opinion."
And while Bolsonaro may not care what Biden or the rest of the world think of his administration, there are key players in Brazil that do.
"To a lot of Brazilian companies, (the risk) is very clear. If Brazil becomes a pariah... that's bad for business, in a country that cannot afford to be losing clients, given where the economy is," Winter told AFP, referring to forecasts that coronavirus-battered Brazil faces a record recession this year…
His poll numbers are strong. And having emulated Trump's rise, he no longer needs the "air of legitimacy" the US president gave him, said Winter.
"One of the lessons likely to come out of 2020 is that just because Trump lost, that brand of politics is not going to go away," he said…
