A proposal signed by about 30 senators is causing deep unease among Brazilian diplomats and experts in the country’s foreign policy. Senator Davi Alcolumbre (DEM-AP) introduced the 34/2021 Constitutional Amendment, which, if ratified, would allow politicians to head Brazilian embassies abroad without losing their powers.
A position in Legislative Power must be abandoned for a lawmaker or senator to assume an embassy today. In practice, such a move served as a deterrent for politicians to make the leap. According to the new proposal, after completing a term in a foreign embassy, the politician can return to his position in the Senate or House of Representatives.
If he takes revenge, the project will create an unprecedented situation: as ambassador, the politician will have diplomatic immunity abroad. And it would also be outside the jurisdiction of the Brazilian Justice.
The fear within Itamaraty is that, if approved, the appointment of politicians to lead international missions in Brazil will rapidly increase. Within the Prime Ministry, the issue is seen as a turning point that will change the country’s profile abroad if it progresses. Itamaraty is still considered one of the most robust sectors of government careers, and embassies are traditionally occupied by diplomats.
But under Jair Bolsonaro, the first signs were given that this tradition might change. In the first few months, his deputy, Eduardo Bolsonaro, was nominated by his father to take over the Brazilian embassy in Washington, one of the most strategic positions in national diplomacy. If the appointment never succeeded, other posts abroad – Portugal and Israel – were occupied by individuals selected by the government outside of the diplomatic career.
The law allows the president to choose an ambassador outside Itamaraty. But Bolsonaro’s appointment of a secretary from the Ministry of Defense to the United Arab Emirates mission created a crisis.
source: Noticias
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