Brazil and Argentina try to amend fractured relationship

Over the past decade, Brazilian diplomacy has been nothing short of a disaster. After the globe-trotting presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the country essentially removed itself from the international scene — first, due to the lack of interest from Dilma Rousseff and then because of the lack of prestige her successor Michel Temer enjoyed outside of Brazil. Under Jair Bolsonaro, however, things have changed — but not necessarily for the better. The country’s diplomacy has become overtly aggressive, picking feuds with China, Argentina, and the new president-elect of the U.S. — in other words, he has squabbled with the country’s three biggest trading partners.

This week, Mr. Bolsonaro began a process to mend fences with one of them: neighbors Argentina.

On November 30, both countries commemorate Brazil-Argentina Friendship Day. This year’s events were special indeed, as they marked the very first direct conversation between Mr. Bolsonaro and his Argentinian counterpart Alberto Fernández, in a 40-minute video conference...