Bolsonaro to skip the last major international event of his term

President Jair Bolsonaro will skip the Mercosur summit next week in Uruguay, the Foreign Affairs Ministry told The Brazilian Report.

The meeting of the members’ heads of state of the regional trade block is scheduled for next Tuesday, December 6. The government confirmed that Brazil’s Mercosur delegation will be headed by Vice President Hamilton Mourão.

Mr. Mourão was elected senator in October for the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul and will take office in his next job in February.

Previously, President Bolsonaro also skipped COP27 and the G20 meeting in November, both of which took place after he lost his re-election bid to former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Since losing the election, Mr. Bolsonaro has kept a low profile, making few public appearances. Although his administration officially kickstarted the transition process, he has so far failed to congratulate Lula or explicitly concede. 

Last Saturday, Mr. Bolsonaro attended a ceremony at the Agulhas Negras Military Academy, Brazil’s equivalent to West Point. He didn’t speak or take pictures with supporters — which he usually does. Vice President Hamilton Mourão told reporters the president “was a bit sad.” 

Back in July, President Bolsonaro said he expected visits from leaders of four Middle-Eastern states before the end of the year. The Foreign Affairs Ministry and the presidential palace failed to reply on whether those visits might still happen.

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