RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday, August 30th, President Jair Bolsonaro complained about Brazilian embassies abroad that do not display his official portrait. According to Bolsonaro, this is not a matter of narcissism, but rather of protocol. He raised the prospect of those ambassadors not showing his photo being supporters of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“Even the embassies, look, for gracious sakes. There’s no picture of me at the embassies. I’m not a narcissist, no. I’m not. It’s a matter of protocol. I wonder if there are ambassadors thinking about “Lula Livre” (Free Lula). For God’s sake,” said Bolsonaro.
The statement was made as Bolsonaro remarked on the decision by U.S. company VF Corporation, manufacturer of footwear and leather accessories and owner of eighteen brands, to suspend the purchase of leather from Brazilian suppliers.
The president further said that it was “fake news”. When told that the decision had been confirmed, Bolsonaro said that he would discuss the matter with the Minister of Agriculture, Tereza Cristina: “If it has been confirmed now, I will call Teresa Cristina and see what we can do. It’s rash too,” he said.
The president then established a link between this suspension and Brazil’s image abroad and said he had discussed it with Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo. In his opinion, embassies need to bring the “truth”. Bolsonaro praised the performance of Luis Fernando Serra, the Brazilian ambassador to France, amidst his exchange of barbs with French president Emmanuel Macron: “Our embassies have to bring the truth. For instance, our ambassador Serra is doing very well in France, taking part and responding, in French, to the unjust attacks that Brazil has suffered from the French government.”