Joe Biden and Brazilian President 'Lula' talked climate change, protecting the Amazon

WASHINGTON – Nearly a month after Brazil experienced riots that mirrored the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, President Joe Biden met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.  Top of the agenda: preserving democracy, and collaborating on fighting climate change.

The two leaders are self-described pro-union men and are both the oldest presidents elected to each country.

The meeting came a month after supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attacked several buildings in Brazil’s capitol last month, including the building where Brazil's Congress meet, as a retaliation for Brazil's election results.

What was on the agenda?

• Democracy: After Brazil faced its own attack on several government buildings that mirrored the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, ensuring democracy in the region was a key priority for the two leaders. "Both our nations' strong democracies have been tested of late, very much tested, and our institutions are put in jeopardy, but in both the United States and Brazil, democracy prevailed," Biden said in remarks before the meeting.

• Climate change: The two leaders discussed combatting the climate crisis and protecting the Amazon rainforest. Lula restarted the Amazon Fund, which allows other countries to donate money to fight deforestation and spur sustainable development in Brazil. A senior administration official told reporters that John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, will make a follow up visit to Brazil following Lula’s visit to Washington.

• Russia and Ukraine war: While Lula has been opposed to sending weapons to Ukraine, Biden and the Brazilian president discussed the conflict.

• G-20: With Brazil hosting the G-20 summit next year, Biden and Lula discussed the priorities and the agenda for the meeting that brings together the top leaders of the world.

• Immigration: Biden and Lula also discussed managing migration from the region, as well as how to address humanitarian and security concerns in Haiti. Brazil has a significant Haitian population.

Takeaways

Lula highlighted Brazil's role in combatting climate change, especially in terms of protecting the Amazon rainforest.

The Brazilian president is trying to reconstruct relations with key world leaders following his predecessor’s nationalistic policy that isolated Brazil on the foreign stage, while also trying to elevate the country.

And he intends to use environmental diplomacy to do just that.

During his opening remarks ahead of the bilateral meeting, Lula stressed the need to address climate change, particularly how it impacts the Amazon.

Biden has made addressing climate change a key priority of his administration.

While the two leaders discussed an array of topics, including the attacks on democracy both countries have faced, the meeting was largely symbolic.

Both leaders are trying to restore and create a working relationship between the two countries that suffered under both of their predecessors.

Who is the Brazilian president?

Lula previously served two terms as president from 2003 to 2010 and is the first Brazilian president to be elected to a third term.

He was locked in a tight election battle with Jair Bolsonaro, in which Lula garnered 51% of his country's votes during last year's runoff election.  Bolsonaro, the former president and his supporters raised questions of fairness and accuracy in the voting system.

Lula previously served 18 months in prison on corruption charges that his supporters said were cooked up by opponents. But the nation's Supreme Court overturned the charges, enabling Lula to seek office again.

The elephant in the room: Bolsonaro

Hanging over the meeting between Biden and Lula was one controversial figure: Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro, who has been compared to former President Donald Trump and even dubbed the Trump of the Tropics, is currently staying in Florida and has applied for a six-month visa to stay in the United States.

Bolsonaro left for the United States in late December, about a week before his supporters rioted in Brasilia, attacking government buildings in January.

Brazil’s Supreme Court is currently investigating whether he helped instigate or organize the riots.

While Lula did not mention the former Brazilian president by name, he noted how "the last president didn't enjoy to keep international relations with any country."

"His world started and ended with fake news in the morning, afternoon and at night," Lula said.

"Sounds familiar," Biden joked, hinting at his own predecessor.

Contributing: Josh Meyer and David Jackson

Reach Rebecca Morin at Twitter @RebeccaMorin_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden talked climate in meeting with Brazil President Lula da Silva