A shift in U.S. foreign policy could be straining relations between Washington and Brasília. Former President Donald Trump, by pressing Brazil on key political and diplomatic issues, is drawing comparisons to an earlier era when the United States reassessed its support for Latin American governments. His actions are now being viewed by some analysts as a modern version of a move made decades ago by President Jimmy Carter.
According to The Washington Post, in the late 1970s, President Carter, whose biggest accomplishments included reshaping American foreign policy, changed how the United States interacted with Latin American dictatorships. He moved away from backing military regimes, such as the one in Brazil at the time, and pushed for human rights reforms instead. Many Brazilians later credited this approach with helping open a path to democracy by the 1980s. However, at the time, Carter’s decisions caused tension and were used against him politically in the U.S., especially during Ronald Reagan’s campaign for the presidency.
