U.S. lawmakers urge Biden to review ties with Brazil over Bolsonaro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Lawmakers sent Biden a letter urging him to pressure Brazil’s president to prevent electoral manipulation, corruption and deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

In the letter, they urged Biden to send “a clear message” to Bolsonaro that should he pursue his attacks on the electoral process in Brazil, bilateral ties would be “seriously compromised.”

Specifically, they call for a review of relations to adjust them to encourage “less harmful” behavior on Bolsonaro’s part.

To that end, the congressmembers propose reviewing cooperation on counter-terrorism and anti-drug issues, and the offer made to Brazil to become a NATO partner.

In that respect, they recalled that in 2019 Brazil was designated as a strategic U.S. military ally outside NATO, which Bolsonaro has been using for his own political benefit, they warned.

This type of designation is granted by Washington to several of its allied countries, which cooperate with U.S. forces but are not NATO members. The designation provides for the delivery of surplus defense articles and the organization of joint exercises with the U.S..

“Offering the Brazilian government the opportunity to become a NATO partner would signal that the U.S. has no serious concerns with the human rights, democracy and environmental violations taking place in Brazil,” the lawmakers warned.