In today’s issue: Washington trip highlights strains within the government.
Washington trip highlights strains within the government
President Jair Bolsonaro arrived yesterday in Washington for his first official foreign visit since flopping at the World Economic Forum in January. He will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump tomorrow—and today he will take part in a meeting with businessmen. Meanwhile, seven of his cabinet members have their own commitments, trying to increase cooperation and investment between the two countries. So far, the trip has also exposed the strains within the administration.
On Saturday, Olavo de Carvalho—the “ideological guru” of Bolsonarism—called the government’s military wing “a bunch of pansies,” and described Vice President Hamilton Mourão, who takes over as the acting head of state while Mr. Bolsonaro is abroad, as an “idiot.” Mr. Carvalho also said that, unless the government shifts its direction radically, “[this administration] will be over within six months.”
One of the staples of this government has been the fierce opposition between the early, more ideologically radical supporters of the president, and the group of more pragmatic generals he later surrounded himself with. “While [VP] Mourão will not be [in Washington], it wouldn’t be surprising to see...