Pompeo discusses cooperation with Brazil's 'Trump of the Tropics'
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday discussed ways he plans to work with Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, the controversial right-wing populist who won around 55 percent of the vote after a volatile and divisive presidential campaign.
Pompeo in a phone call congratulated Bolsonaro on the win and discussed collaboration on issues including Venezuela, transnational crime and economic ties between "the two largest economies in the Western Hemisphere," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.
The call comes days after a group of House Democrats penned a letter to Pompeo asking him to condemn Bolsonaro, who was then the frontrunner for the presidency.
The lawmakers, led by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), raised concerns about the "rising threats to democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Brazil" connected to Bolsonaro.
The rise of Bolsonaro, a longtime congressman and former army official in Brazil, has raised alarms among critics and anti-fascists who claim he exhibits authoritarian tendencies. Bolsonaro infamously once said Brazil's former military dictatorship did not go "far enough" in their mass killings, and he has advocated for the use of torture.
“It is incumbent upon you and other spokespeople for our government to condemn all political violence and take a strong stand in opposition to such backsliding; leaving clear that U.S. assistance and cooperation with Brazil is contingent on the upholding of basic human rights and democratic values by its leaders," the House Democrats wrote to Pompeo.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/413750-pompeo-says-he-will-work-with-brazils-trump-of-the-tropics
