Meet Eduardo Bolsonaro, Parallel Chancellor and Ally of Bannon

(Have a look at Steve Bannon’s organization “The Movement”)

By Richard Mann, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Eduardo Nantes Bolsonaro is the third son of President Bolsonaro. He has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2015 and is affiliated to the Social Liberal Party.

In February 2019, it was reported that Bolsonaro was joining “The Movement”. The European based organization supports right-wing populism and was founded by former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.

He is the head of Bannon’s “The Movement” in South America, coordinator of presidential trips and became in the last months a sort of parallel chancellor of Brazil.

The “zero three” son – as he is called in Brazil – of President Jair Bolsonaro makes preparatory visits to aligned countries and informally divides foreign policy handling of right-wing governed nations with the foreign minister, Ernesto Araújo.

In recent weeks he has visited exponents of European conservatism, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.

After a first term in the House marked by defending gun release as well as issuing statements deemed controversial regarding the Judiciary and the Prosecutor’s Office, Eduardo diversified his political portfolio.

Today, his routine is intensified by meetings with foreign ambassadors in Brazil but ensures that the game is split with Araújo, although each one freely defines his agenda.

“It’s a complementary role. He’s the decision-maker,”  Eduardo told the newspaper O Estadão. “I’m close to the ambassador. If there’s anything to do with the Executive, I’ll pass it on to him,” he corrected.

Eduardo can rely on Filipe Martins, special advisor for International Affairs of the President. Martins is building with the deputy and the chancellor a sort of “triumvirate” of diplomacy that follows the thought of writer Olavo de Carvalho, chief-ideologue of “bolsonarism”.

The deputy’s role, however, is not limited to that of a representative of his father abroad.

He chairs the Foreign Affairs Committees as well as the Congressional Intelligence Task Force. The latter supervises the activities of intelligence and counterintelligence developed in Brazil and abroad.

It is the only committee in the legislature to hold secret meetings because it addresses issues that may jeopardize national sovereignty.

Invitations from foreign governments continue to reach the Foreign Relations Committee’s office. There, Bolsonaro sympathizers share space with diplomats in search of dialogue with the President through Eduardo.

In the coming days, for instance, he will receive ambassadors from Arab countries worried about Bolsonaro’s convergence to Israel. Last week he met with the ambassadors for Argentina, Peru, and China.

Ideology

In a meeting with high ranking Chinese representatives, the deputy softened the ideological speech which has been the government’s tune.

“I mentioned emperor Vespasian’s motto: “Money has no odor.” We made it clear to the Chinese that ideological issues can be set aside. I told them that if there is any news claiming Jair Bolsonaro has restrictions in regard to China, it would not be true “, he said. “The approach to China is the same as to other countries.”

These words differ from the tone he expressed while touring Europe, where he proclaimed a “fight against socialism”.

Eduardo admits that he gained prominence in foreign policy, a subject he did not master because he is Bolsonaro’s son. “As the president’s son, the spotlight is on top, for better or for worse.”

The deputy’s political momentum differs from his brother’s. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has sunk as he is being targeted by investigations into atypical financial transactions by a former advisor to the Rio Legislative Assembly. Simultaneously, Rio councilman Carlos Bolsonaro (PSC) is waging war with the military.

Bolsonaro’s “zero three” sees no problem in interceding to unlock business in the Executive when requested by foreigners.

“Hey, Eduardo, can you talk to someone in the Ministry of Economy?” “Of course, if I have any inside contact, I make it happen.”

The next destination should be the USA where his father will receive an award in May. The trip will be Bolsonaro’s second to the country that has become the focus of “Bolsonarian” foreign policy. Donald Trump has already classified Eduardo’s work as “fantastic.”