President Joe Biden will play host to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the White House on Friday, and shoring up democracy could be a rallying point between the two.
Lula defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in October to gain power in a controversial election with claims of fraud by Bolsonaro and his supporters. On Jan. 8, a week after Lula was sworn in, protesters in the capital of Brasília swarmed Brazil's Congress and Supreme Court buildings and the presidential palace.
It was eerily reminiscent of Biden's victory over Donald Trump in 2020, with claims of election fraud and a riot on Jan. 6, 2021, that saw protesters swarm the U.S. Capitol building in Washington.
Bolsonaro is under investigation for inciting the protesters — he has denounced them — just like Trump is a target of an investigation over allegations he incited the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Bolsonaro left Brazil for Florida in late December and reportedly has applied for a six-month visitor visa to remain in the U.S.
Lula "has everything on the table right now to be a democratic champion, given what happened in Brazil over the past month and a half," analyst Thiago de Aragão said Monday at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event, Axios reported.
"Having seen Biden in a similar situation on Jan. 6, this is something they can, together, focus on a global narrative that coincides in terms of democratic values and environmental policies."
In announcing Lula's visit on Jan. 31, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the two leaders will "discuss the United States' unwavering support of Brazil's democracy and how the two countries can continue to work together to promote inclusion and democratic values in the region and around the world, particularly in the lead-up to the March 2023 Summit for Democracy."
She said Biden and Lula will also address common challenges such as fighting climate change, safeguarding food security, encouraging economic development, strengthening peace and security, and managing regional migration.
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