What will Brazil gain (or lose) from Bolsonaro’s cozying up to the U.S.?

Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of president-elect Jair, wore his “Trump 2020” baseball cap with pride on November 27, during a visit to Washington D.C. The headgear, more than just an accessory, indicates that the future Brazilian government is running the risk of not just being “aligned” with the U.S., but decidedly “Trumpist,” according to specialists.

This is because, in the two months since his election, Jair Bolsonaro and his government team have already announced that they plan to move their embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while also being more critical of China. Members of his transition team have also expressed a skepticism about climate change. These stances are similar, if not identical, to those of U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to Fernanda Magnotta, coordinator of International Relations at São Paulo-based university FAAP, alignment with the U.S. is hardly a never-before-seen feature of Brazilian foreign policy.

During the period of democratization and after the enactment of the new Brazilian Constitution, presidents Fernando Collor de Mello (1990-1992) and Fernando...