By João Marcelo
SAO PAULO – The President of the United States, Joe Biden, andsenior members of the Americangovernment received, last week, a dossier recommendingthe suspension of agreementsbetween the U.S. and the Bolsonaro government. Thedocument was written by professorsfrom 10 universities, including 9 American and oneBrazilian, and also had the collaborationof NGO directors such as Greenpeace USA and AmazonWatch.The text obtained by BBC Brasil says that the Americangovernment should restrict theimportation of commodities, such as soy, wood andmeat, “unless it can be confirmed thatimports are not linked to deforestation or human rightsabuses”.
The document further assesses that the relationshipand ideological alignment between thetwo presidents, Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, hascalled into question the role of theUnited States as a reliable partner in the struggleand defense of democracy. “Theespecially close relationship between the two presidentswas a central factor in Bolsonaro’slegitimation and his authoritarian tendencies”In an interview with Dire agency, the professor,Pedro Brites, from the FGV School ofInternational Relations (Fundação Getúlio Vargas),states that this moment in which thedossier is delivered to the White House is an interestingfact for two reasons. “From thedomestic point of view, the government had a victorywith the elections for the presidency ofthe Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate. Thisgives the possibility for thegovernment to pass on some agendas that had shownresistance in the past.”
On the otherhand, the document comes precisely in a context inwhich Brazil has been under pressure,mainly due to the environmental issue. “Brazil hasas a priority the entry into the OECD(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).This is an agenda constantlydefended. The dossier can strengthen an OECD actiondelaying Brazil’s possible progresswithin the institution. The action of the Policy CommitteeAmbiental shows signs that there isresistance in relation to Brazil and in the case ofthe OECD the request came from the NGOHumans Rights Watch “, added the professor.These issues can put the government’s ministerialpolicy in question. Foreign MinisterErnesto Araújo is one of the most faithful ministersto Bolsonarism and the government’sideological wing. However, the minister has beenunder some pressure and,