Brazil endorses Cuba embargo in latest cozying up to U.S.

That the administration of Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is tightly linked to the agenda of his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump is well explored and reported. However, if this wasn’t already made patently clear by Mr. Bolsonaro making a subservient military salute to Mr. Trump’s ex-security advisor John Bolton, or the president’s son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, sporting “Make Brazil Great Again” baseball caps, then Brazil’s latest diplomatic decision can leave no-one in any doubt as to where Mr. Bolsonaro’s allegiances lie.

For the first time in 27 years, Brazil has moved to vote against an annual United Nations resolution to condemn the U.S.’ economic embargo on Cuba.

Of the organization’s 193 member states, 187 voted in favor of the motion to repudiate the embargo. Colombia and Ukraine abstained, Moldova refused to vote, leaving just Brazil, Israel, and the U.S. to oppose the resolution. 

Going against the grain on a near-unanimous vote represents yet another case of the Jair Bolsonaro’s quarreling with the United Nations.

In September, the former Army captain shocked the world with his aggressive, ideology-filled speech to open the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Later, the organization showed concern about Brazil’s conservative agenda in the run-up to the UN Human Rights Council vote, though the country successfully managed re-election. 

While Brazil is not in the good graces of the global community, things are equally unstable on a regional level. In December 2018, Havana dealt Brazil a blow by announcing its withdrawal from Brazil’s white coat diplomacy More Doctors program,...