The former president of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro can stay in Florida (USA) “as long as he wants”, as long as he is not formally charged with a crime, Senator Rick Scott for this state told EFE, amid pressure on the Joe government Biden to expel the Brazilian leader.
Bolsonaro, who has been in US territory since the end of December, is being investigated by his country’s Justice for the coup attempt committed by his most radical supporters last January in Brasilia.
“Everyone wants to come to Florida, we are a great place to live (…) It is a former president and if there is something that he is accused of, that is fine, but if not, he has to be able to visit and stay as long as he wants to. want,” the Republican senator told EFE.
The former Brazilian president has already requested a change of status and seeks to obtain a tourist visa that will allow him to stay for six more months in the US, US media reported last Monday.
Scott, who was governor of Florida until 2019, before assuming his current position in the Senate, told EFE that if the US were to receive an extradition order for Bolsonaro, it must be complied with.
“I think the US will abide by whatever,” added the Republican politician.
Democratic legislators have asked the Biden government to expel Bolsonaro from the US, whom they accuse of orchestrating “attacks on democracy” in Brazil and drew parallels between what happened in the South American country and the assault on the Capitol that took place on January 6, 2021.
In a letter addressed to Biden, 46 members of the House of Representatives asked their government on Thursday to investigate the actions that Bolsonaro may have taken on US soil “to help the insurrection” in Brazil and to revoke any permission he has. to be in the US
THE WHITE HOUSE “APACIGUES” THE GOVERNMENTS OF CUBA AND VENEZUELA
For Senator Scott, who has been critical of the current government’s policy toward Latin America, the Biden government’s rapprochement with Venezuela and Cuba is appeasing.
“Biden’s plan is the appeasement of regimes. He does not have a plan and he does not care, ”he assured EFE.
The White House has taken timid steps to get closer to Cuba and Venezuela, after four years of aggressive sanctions policies and diplomatic pressure from former President Donald Trump (2017-2021).
The Biden government resumed consular services and visa processing at the Havana embassy and US officials have met at least three times with members of the Cuban government since Biden took office in 2021.
Regarding Venezuela, the White House has made small concessions to the Venezuelan government on the issue of sanctions, such as giving a license to allow the oil company Chevron to export Venezuelan crude or the release of Maduro’s nephews in an exchange for four US citizens.
For Scott, who supported the Trump government’s isolation strategies for these countries, these actions show that Biden “does not care about the fight for freedom or democracy” in those countries.
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