President Bolsonaro considers appointing son as ambassador to US

President Jair Bolsonaro said Thursday (Jul. 11) that he may appoint his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman, as Brazil’s Ambassador to US. The decision is in his son’s hands, the president said. Eduardo Bolsonaro is currently chair of the lower house Foreign Relations Committee.

“It’s something I have on my radar now, yes. It’s a possibility. He is friends with Trump’s children, he speaks English, Spanish, has a lot of experience around the world, and, the way I see it, could be the right person for the job in Washington,” the president told journalists after attending the inauguration ceremony of Federal Police Commissioner Alexandre Ramagem Rodrigues as director-general with Brazil’s intelligence agency Abin.

Resignation

Bolsonaro mentioned his son’s resignation in case he takes the role. “I’m not sure, but, if I’m not mistaken, the law says that, in case a Congress member accepts such an invitation, he must resign his post,” he pointed out.

The president also said Eduardo Bolsonaro is considering the possibility. “I could make the decision now, but it’s not easy to leave your mandate being Brazil’s most voted-for representative. Even though he’s my son, there are certain issues he has to decide on himself,” he said.

Their kinship could prove to be an advantage, Bolsonaro went on to argue. “Imagine having [Argentine President Maurício] Macri’s son as Argentina’s ambassador [to Brazil]? Obviously the treatment given to him would be different from the one given to a regular ambassador.”