Biden speaks to Brazil’s Lula, invites him to Washington in show of support

President Biden on Monday spoke with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva following the riot that broke out in Brazil the day before.

Biden on the call invited Lula to visit Washington early next month “for in-depth consultations on a wide-ranging shared agenda,” and Lula accepted the invitation.

“Biden conveyed the unwavering support of the United States for Brazil’s democracy and for the free will of the Brazilian people as expressed in Brazil’s recent presidential election, which President Lula won,” according to a joint statement by Biden and Lula.

Biden also “condemned the violence and the attack on democratic institutions and on the peaceful transfer of power,” and the two leaders pledged to work closely on issues such as climate change, economic development, and peace and security.

Lula’s inauguration took place a week prior to Sunday’s riot. But former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who lost his reelection bid in October, has not completely conceded.

Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters on Sunday stormed government offices in a scene reminiscent of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. They entered the country’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace to protest the results of the presidential election, and hundreds have since been arrested.

Earlier on Monday, Biden, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau jointly condemned the riot. Biden is with the two leaders in Mexico City for the North American Leaders’ Summit.

On Sunday, Biden described the events in Brazil as “outrageous” and vowed his administration’s “full support” for Brazil’s democratic institutions.

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