Abandoned by Jair Bolsonaro, international organizations threatened to cut Brazil’s votes in decisions that could affect foreign policy. However, thanks to the loan approved by the Ministry of Economy, the country will actually be able to pay off the entire US$ 5.5 billion debt with institutions such as the UN, FAO, World Bank and dozens of other institutions.

The debt had accumulated after the Bolsonaro government chose not to invest mandatory contributions in corporations. In places like the FAO, non-payment suspends Brazil’s right to vote from 2023. In some other organizations, the same fate is granted to the country’s accession.

As privately announced by UOL at the beginning of December, the debt has reached BRL 5.5 billion, the largest ever left by a Brazilian federal administration. The atmosphere was embarrassing for the Itamaraty diplomats who had to deal with the situation.

In mid-December, Congress approved a project that freed up 1 billion BRL so that the money could be used to fill the void left by Bolsonaro. The amount was not enough and now a new loan has been opened by the Ministry of Economy for this purpose.

Julio Menezes da Silva, the private secretary of the Treasury, stated in a circular on December 26 that such a measure is possible due to the fiscal surplus in 2021.

In some international organizations, such as the International Criminal Court, the biggest debtor is Brazil. But the debt was seen as a major diplomatic responsibility, occupying a rotating seat on the UN Security Council until the end of 2023.

In a report released last week, the transition team underlined that debt has hampered Brazil’s attempt to take a leading role in international discussions.