World Leaders Recognize Biden’s Victory; Brazil Remains Silent

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Although Donald Trump insists he will challenge the outcome of the election, Joe Biden has already received widespread recognition from international leaders. For the time being, the Brazilian government has remained silent about election results.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was one of the main names to ignore Trump’s position, noting his acknowledgment of Biden’s victory and pointing out that the U.S. is the United Kingdom’s “most important” ally. He stated that he shares the same priorities of the elected president, such as climate, trade, and security.

The Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg also expressed a clear acknowledgment of Biden’s victory, as well as the Irish head of government, Michael Higgins, and the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, the Netherlands, and Ukraine.

In Latin America, governments of different ideological positions also congratulated Biden, among them Argentina’s Alberto Fernández and Chile’s Sebastián Piñera, and even Colombian Iván Duque.

Brazil’s silence was the target of comments among national and foreign diplomats, many of them ironizing over how Brasília would react to the defeat of its main ally. In recent months, the opposition claims Brazil’s Foreign Ministry has abandoned national interests to help Trump win votes, conceding on trade issues in Brazil’s exporting sectors.

If Jair Bolsonaro has remained silent for now, São Paulo state Governor João Dória and ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have chosen to express themselves. Doria sent Biden a letter, while the leftist stated on social media that the “world sighs in relief”. Lula said he expects the elected president “to be guided by the humanist values that marked his campaign”.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used social media to declare that he was “truly eager to work together and develop” the relationship between the two countries.

One of the most important messages came from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who refused to accept Trump’s challenge. “The American public decided. Joe Biden will be the 46th president of the United States of America,” she said. In recent days, she made harsh comments against the Republican. Through her Ministers, she warned of the risk of a constitutional crisis and stated that democracy needed “decent losers”.

French President Emmanuel Macron also published a message along the same lines: “the Americans have chosen their president.”

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Spain’s head of government Pedro Sanches, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as dozens of other local leaders, mayors, and governors, also shared messages of support for Biden while signaling the willingness of Europeans to work with the new head of the White House.

Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis even said that Biden has been a “true friend of Greece”.

The statement of one of Trump’s allies, Polish President Andrzej Duda, was symbolic, pointing out that he is committed to maintaining a “high-level” and “partnership” rapport with Biden.

Source: UOL