The first meeting between Presidents Jair Bolsonaro and Joe Biden took place yesterday in Los Angeles, United States, in the middle of the Summit of the Americas. Cold, impersonal and strictly protocol meeting.
for not running scenario The diplomat has already carefully rehearsed, anyone who thinks that a set of sensitivities that exist between the two leaders has simply been overcome is mistaken. On the contrary, body language revealed the uncomfortable atmosphere in which the meeting took place, in an “unspoken” setting. There was no public handshake and limited exchange of glances. Expectations in the speech: references to the historical bilateral relationship and its collaborative character.
Lots of general statements, mundane statements, but no major announcements or indications of relevant new bilateral projects. The Bolsonaro-Biden meeting wasn’t exactly about international politics or the national interests of Brazil and the United States. Instead, it was about convenience agendas for the two presidents.
In the case of Brazil, notoriously the focus was on collecting material to be explored in the election campaigns. Bolsonaro seeks to collect portraits of symbolic figures from the global stage to challenge the dominant narrative of an international pariah at the head of an increasingly isolated and discredited country worldwide.
As far as Americans are concerned, and as the host of the Summit, the meeting served the purpose of “harm containment” in the face of an empty event filled with criticism and controversy. After excluding Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, and suffering boycotts by many other countries in the region who chose not to attend the meeting, Biden needed Brazil’s presence to stabilize the hemispherical fiasco and maintain his own credibility.
With well-defined boundaries, yellow smiles, and trying to avoid a minefield, the result was a pro forma meeting that was implicit and full of blind spots, but served its purpose. Despite their insurmountable personal differences, Bolsonaro and Biden found themselves in what was most instinctive in public life: the need to save reputation.
The Brazilian president helped pass this receipt by describing his experience with the term “wonderful”. In addition to the well-known admiration for everything from the north and the usual exaggeration in describing his own achievements, he also made it clear on this occasion that the main result of the bilateral dialogue is a resounding and utterly open understanding. relaxation.
source: Noticias
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