WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is struggling to contend with the Florida stay of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who many blame for violent riots this week in Brazil’s capital.
And the conundrum for the Biden administration is playing out as America continues to reckon with the threat to democracy posed by the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, to which the Brazil insurrection is being compared.
Top U.S. officials, from President Joe Biden down, quickly condemned the violence and voiced support for Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who entered office earlier this month. Biden telephoned him and again extended an invitation to the White House, expressing “the unwavering support of the United States for Brazil’s democracy and for the free will of the Brazilian people.” He called the violence “outrageous.”
