"The trump of the tropics" visits his teacher

(From Chicago) The "Trump of the tropics" visits the "authentic Trump". Jair Bolsonaro arrives in Washington to meet US President. Leaders of the continent's largest democracies gather to stage their ideological and personal affinities. Two national-populists who will seek to strengthen an alliance that goes beyond the coincidences of style and turns into a true "crusade".

Bolsonaro will be a special guest at Blair House, a Victorian residence located just across the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. On Monday, he will cross the street and walk about 200 meters up to the oval hall for official photo and occasional commentary. The result of the visit will be commented on Tuesday by the protagonists at a joint press conference at the Rose Garden, if there is finally the slightest sign of spring in this long and difficult winter of 30 degrees below zero.

On Monday night, the Brazilian President will hold a dinner at the Ambbadador's residence, in the magnificent McCormick House on Whitehaven Street, designed by architect John Russell Pope in 1907. He will be among the special guests. Steve Bannonthe ultra-conservative activist who organized the Trump campaign until the billionaire throws him to the street. Since then, the former editor-in-chief of the ultraconservative website Breitbart News, is dedicated to spreading its anti-globalism in Europe and Latin America. Bannon was a key advisor to the Bolsonaro campaign, which adopted the "America first"Trump to turn it into a"Brazil Primeiro"Since then, he has a direct and permanent communication with Eduardo Bolsonaro, one of the president's sons, who is in turn" the representative of Latin America within the Movement that supports populist nationalism and rejects globalization ".

In official conversations, the Venezuelan situation will probably be among the top priorities. Both Presidents have repeatedly expressed their willingness to see the end of Nicolás Maduro's regime and put an end to the humanitarian crisis faced by Venezuelans. But here, cracks appear within their own governments. Trump spoke of the possibility of creating a military base in Brazil to support an alleged military intervention aimed at overthrowing the Venezuelan regime Chavez. Something that the Brazilian Vice President opposes Hamilton Mourão, representative of the wing of the army and the group of technocrats led by the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes and that of justice, Sérgio Moro. "Although Mourão is not present at the meeting, it will not be surprising to see him publicly contradict Bolsonaro during his stay in Washington, as it has happened in recent months," wrote Oliver Stuenkel, editorialist for the Americas Quarterly review. at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo.

Whatever the case may be, there is a defense problem in which all sectors seem to be in agreement and must declare Brazil as an "extra-NATO country", an exclusive club comprising Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Argentina. This gives the Brazilians the opportunity to tighten their military relations and participate in some Pentagon tenders. At the same time, it creates a close alliance in the fight against drugs and other organized crime companies, with advanced training courses. Something that will mark a turning point in Brazilian Copernican politics after the Lula-Dilma era and its 13 years of alliance with the "Bolivarian" countries of the region that refuse any rapprochement with the United States. The agenda also includes the possibility of creating a base for launching space rockets in northeastern Brazil. Not far from there, in French Guiana, works the Kourou basemanaged by France and its European partners, which has the characteristic of saving 30% of fuel during launches and which is already attracting interest from several American companies ready to invest. This site could become the largest in the world for sending satellites in space and would give Brazil the opportunity for an exceptional technological and scientific development.

The substantial but still uncertain part of the visit would be the announcement of the signing of a free trade agreement between the two countries. Washington wants to replace China as Brazil's largest trading partner but US agricultural producers oppose any reduction in tariffs on competitive products such as soybeans. Any trade deal should go through the House of Representatives, dominated by the Democratic opposition, and it is unlikely that any law could, for example, facilitate the entry of fruits or auto parts. Nor is there any hope of progress in a double taxation treaty sought by the two governments, but which could not be converted into law by the two countries' parliamentary opposition.

In the meeting they are expected diplomatic announcements. The United States still has to appoint their ambbadador to Brasilia and Trump could give the name of his candidate for confirmation by the Senate. Bolsonaro already brings with him New Ambbadador of Brazil in Washington, Néstor Forster, a man ideologically close to both leaders. The appointment of Forster is a personal triumph of Bolsonaro who managed to move the candidate Itamaraty, Murillo de Aragão, and other career diplomats. There are also important coincidences in positions within international organizations and treaties. The Brazilian Chancellor Ernesto Araújo it's a admirer of trumpista antiglobalism and I would like to pull Brazil out of the climate change pact like Trump did. He also seeks to get out of the deal for migrations.

The summit will show two hard men with controversial past. Bolsonaro comes to Washington in the shadow of the mbadacre at a school in San Pablo and his fierce defense against the carrying of arms. And most importantly, at the arrest this week of two suspects of the murder of the human rights defender Marielle Franco. They are two former police officers close to the Bolsonaro family. One of them has a girl who was the girlfriend of Flavio Bolsonaro, son of the president. And the other has a picture of a hug with Bolsonaro himself. For his part, Trump again provoked Thursday a public outcry by threatening his opponents saying: "I have the support of the police, the army and even motorcyclists, I have with me the most difficult people, even if they do not act violently until things do not become bad, very bad. "Two tough guys shaking hands with affection.