US President Donald Trump (L) speaks with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 7, 2020. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP)
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday he hoped Donald Trump would come out ahead in the down-to-the-wire US election, lashing out at Democratic contender Joe Biden鈥檚 comments on protecting the Amazon rainforest.
The far-right leader, who has been dubbed a has cultivated a close relationship with the Republican president, and has not been shy about endorsing his bid for reelection.
鈥淵ou know where I stand, I鈥檝e been clear. I have a good relationship with Trump. I hope he鈥檒l be reelected,鈥� Bolsonaro told supporters outside the presidential palace in Brasilia.
He denied backing Trump amounted to 鈥渋nterference鈥� in US affairs, saying, 鈥淲ho are we to interfere anyway?鈥�
鈥淗ow do you want me to interfere? Economically? Militarily? A cyber attack?鈥� he joked.
Turning to Biden, who is locked in a tight race with Trump that could stretch Tuesday鈥檚 election into hours or days of vote-counting, Bolsonaro attacked the former vice president for urging Brazil to better preserve the Amazon.
鈥淭he Democratic candidate has spoken twice about the Amazon. Is that what you want for Brazil? Now that鈥檚 what I call interference,鈥� he said.
The Amazon has been a touchy subject for Bolsonaro since Biden said in September in his first debate against Trump that he planned to raise funds from the international community to offer Brazil $20 billion to 鈥渟top tearing down the forest.鈥�
鈥淚f you don鈥檛, then you鈥檙e going to have significant economic consequences,鈥� Biden said.
Bolsonaro, who has faced international condemnation for presiding over a surge in deforestation and wildfires since taking office in 2019, called the statement 鈥渄isastrous and unnecessary鈥� the following day.