Lula da Silva vows to punish Bolsonaro supporters 5:20
(CNN Spanish) --
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, meets this Friday at the White House with his counterpart from the United States, Joe Biden, in a meeting in which the two hope to restore relations after a it was defined by right-wing populists and threats to democracy in both nations.
The talks, which are expected to focus on efforts to combat climate change and confront anti-democratic extremism, come about a month after protesters aligned with far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government institutions in Brasilia following his electoral defeat.
The events had worrying echoes of the January 6, 2021 insurrection attempt in the United States, not least because Bolsonaro was closely aligned with former President Donald Trump.
After his electoral defeat, Bolsonaro went to the United States;
he has been living near Orlando, Florida for over a month.
"Defending democracy is an obligation of all democrats in the world," Lula told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an interview in Washington.
"I (never) could have imagined that the invasion of the Capitol could occur in the United States, in North America. Just as I could never imagine that in Brazil, after a democratic process with elections, we could have an invasion of Congress, the court Supreme Court and the Presidential Palace".
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"This means that you have a far right running around the world, a far right that is very nervous and uses fake news as a tool to develop policy and to talk to people, to communicate with people," he continued. .
"And we have to destroy, you know, this narrative that they're using against Democrats."
For Biden, the episode was another sign that protecting democracy is a global imperative.
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Cultivating ties after an era of populism
By extending an advance invitation to Lula to visit the White House, Biden hopes to cultivate closer ties and show his support for one of the key players in the Western Hemisphere.
"I think the two presidents are looking forward to developing that personal relationship and making it very clear that they are going to be personally engaged on many issues that are important to both leaders," a senior US administration official said before the visit.
Biden was quick to call Lula after his victory late last year, hoping to show his support after Bolsonaro had laid the groundwork for challenging the election results.
The move was welcomed by Lula's officials, who saw it as a sign that Biden was seeking to restore ties between the countries.
Biden largely sidelined Bolsonaro, with whom he only related on a few occasions.
With the leftist Lula, he finds a person who is a better ally from an ideological point of view.
The two met earlier, when Biden was vice president, as part of a meeting in Chile.
However, now as counterparts they will seek to deepen what has traditionally been a key bilateral relationship in the Western Hemisphere, strained in recent years by the diametrically opposed Biden and Bolsonaro.
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Rebuilding those ties, and affirming a commitment to democracy, will be key in your first face-to-face meeting.
"I think Brazilians love their democracy as much as the American people, and they face challenges similar to what the American people do," said one official.
The fact that Bolsonaro is still in the United States will fly over the meeting.
The former president requested a six-month tourist visa to remain in the country, his lawyers confirmed to CNN.
The State Department has refused to confirm Bolsonaro's visa status over confidentiality concerns.
The Bolsonaro factor
Bolsonaro has been in Florida since December 30, having left Brazil days before his successor's inauguration on January 1.
His presence in Florida has aroused criticism from Democrats in the House of Representatives, who in mid-January urged Biden not to "shelter" Bolsonaro after his supporters broke into the democratic institutions of Brasilia.
Lula told Amanpour that there was "no chance that (Bolsonaro) will return to the presidency of the republic."
Ahead of Friday's visit, the US official said Biden was willing to discuss "any topic" Lula wanted, but suggested they did not expect the Bolsonaro situation to come up in the United States.
The official said they were not aware of any formal extradition requests related to Bolsonaro.
"If and when we get one, I know we'll give you the answer you deserve," the official said.
Instead, the officials outlined an agenda focused mainly on areas of agreement, although on Ukraine there could be some disagreement.
At the top of the agenda is climate change, which has already been the main topic of his two phone calls.
During his tenure, Bolsonaro accelerated deforestation in the Amazon.
Lula has promised to protect the jungle and advance efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
They will also discuss ways to strengthen democracy and efforts within both countries to promote human rights, social inclusion, gender equality and safeguard LGBTQ rights, a senior US administration official said.
Other items on the agenda include economic issues and an initial conversation about the Brazilian G20 presidency in 2024.
Ukraine: the issue on which Lula and Biden may disagree
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One area where they may not see eye to eye is Ukraine.
Lula has adopted a hands-off policy, rejecting efforts led by Biden to unite the world community in opposition to the Russian invasion.
Lula is expected to propose a "peace club" aimed at negotiating an end to the war, including countries such as China and India, which have not taken such a strong stance against the invasion.
Biden is waiting to hear Lula's proposals for Ukraine, the official said, and "will respect and support Lula's efforts to promote dialogue and peace."
Biden welcomes Lula's willingness to re-engage on the world stage, the official added.
Even so, the official acknowledged that Biden and Lula "may not always agree on everything", but they have a shared interest in guaranteeing peace.