The newly elected President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will travel to the United States and meet US President Joe Biden on 10 February, news agency AFP reported on Thursday. The news came amid tensions within the country after several supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the government buildings in protests against the election results.
The communication team of the Brazilian President announced that the leader will travel to Washington on 9 February on a two-day trip. US President Biden invited Lula to the White House on 9 January, a day after the supporters of Bolsonaro stormed the government institutions.
On 8 January, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters attacked government buildings and occupied Presidential Palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court. The protestors also vandalized offices and damaged government property.
President Lula affirmed that he will work towards rebuilding the relations with foreign governments which remained strained during the regime of his predecessor. Former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro took 38 days to recognize the victory of US President Joe Biden as former US President Donald Trump is his close friend.
"Democracy is the only way for us to build a strong nation," Lula wrote on Twitter on Wednesday night.
Lula also announced his desire to defeat what he called the “new monster” which is "fanatical far right," not just in Brazil but in the whole world. "We have to challenge and defeat the new monster that is the emergence of a fanatical, rabid far right that hates all of those that don't share their thoughts," Lula told university rectors at the presidential palace in Brasilia.
He compared Bolsonaro's impact on Brazil with the impact of former US President Donald Trump on the superpower nation.
"Although we have defeated Bolsonaro, we must still defeat hate, lies, disinformation, and fanatics, because this society needs to return to being civilized," the Brazilian President added.
(With inputs from AFP)
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