Today, we bring you an exclusive report on how Bolsonaro is approaching the Huawei issue. How tech companies are trying to avoid legal responsibility. And the Economy Minister announces the end of the emergency aid program.
Could Bolsonaro flip-flop on Huawei?
After threatening to keep Huawei out of Brazil’s upcoming 5G auction, President Jair Bolsonaro is now considering taking a more pragmatic stance on the Chinese telecom giant, according to senior administration officials with direct knowledge of his plans who spoke to The Brazilian Report.
Why it matters. With the U.S. President Donald Trump finally throwing in the towel on the election — greenlighting a formal transition to a Joe Biden administration — Mr. Bolsonaro could backpedal on his pledge to shun Huawei from Brazil’s 5G auction, scheduled for early in 2021. According to one senior official, “the president’s deal [to ban Huawei] was made with Donald Trump, not with the U.S.”
- Future moves by Mr. Bolsonaro will depend on how President-elect Biden will treat his administration.
Internal pressure. Huawei owns the lion’s share of Brazilian telecom antennas, and operators have complained to the government that a ban would require massive investments to replace current equipment — which could...