Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva and United States President Joe Biden have promised to kickstart relations between the two countries, focusing on supporting democracy and combatting climate change.
The pledge on Friday came during a White House meeting between the two leaders, the first since the Brazilian president, commonly known as Lula, took office in January, replacing far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula and Biden highlighted shared goals during the visit, with Biden agreeing to visit Brazil in the future. The tone was a distinct departure from that during the administration of Bolsonaro, who maintained close ties with Biden’s predecessor, former US President Donald Trump.
Brazil “self-marginalised itself for four years”, Lula told reporters, without directly referencing Bolsonaro, who earned the nickname “The Trump of the Tropics” for his combative style and regularly repeating misinformation.
During the public portion of the meeting, Lula said the former president’s world “started and ended with fake news in the morning, afternoon, at night”.
