Brazil's far-right president-elect eyes close US ties

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Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right former Army captain who won Brazil's presidential weekend election, said on Monday he would press ahead with loosening gun laws this year and planned to visit Washington, DC after a friendly call with US President Donald Trump.

Bolsonaro has vowed to adhere to democratic principles while holding up a copy of the country's constitution.

Trump said he had an "excellent call" congratulating Bolsonaro and tweeted about their plans to "work closely together on trade, military and everything else!"

Supporters of far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro take part in a rally during the second round of the presidential elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 28, 2018. /VCG Photo

Investors were quick to cheer Bolsonaro's victory, sending Brazil's benchmark Bovespa stock index to an all-time high in early trading before stock prices fell as traders booked profits following a sharp rally this month.

Markets had surged on Bolsonaro's ascent in opinion polls, as he pledged to quickly close Brazil's gaping budget deficit and privatize state firms. Investors said further gains will hinge on clearer signs he can deliver on a market-friendly agenda.

"You are all my witnesses that this government will defend the constitution, of liberty and of God," Bolsonaro said in a Facebook live video in his first comments after his victory.

The president-elect's future chief of staff told Reuters his first international trip would be to Chile, another South American nation that swung to the political right in recent elections, and soon after that he hoped to visit the United States.

Far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro greets his supporters during the second round of the presidential elections in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 28, 2018. /VCG Photo

An outspoken Trump admirer, Bolsonaro also vowed to realign Brazil with more advanced economies, such as the United States, overhauling diplomatic priorities after nearly a decade and a half of leftist party rule.

Bolsonaro won the presidential race handily despite scarce campaign resources and no support from major parties as he tapped into Brazilians' anger over corruption and crime.

In a Monday night interview with TV Record, Bolsonaro offered some of his first concrete measures on both fronts.

Bolsonaro said he would press Brazil's Congress to loosen the country's restrictive gun laws this year, before he even takes office on January 1.

He reiterated that more widespread gun ownership would limit crime, although critics worry it could add to Brazil's tally of nearly 64,000 homicides last year, the highest in the world.

Bolsonaro also said he wants to nominate the crusading anti-corruption judge Sergio Moro to be his justice minister or the newest member of the Supreme Court.

Trump's friendly call augurs closer political ties between the two largest economies in the Americas, both now led by conservative populists promising to overturn the political establishment.

In a telephone call on Monday with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Bolsonaro discussed collaboration on priority foreign policy issues, including Venezuela, tackling transnational crime and ways to strengthen economic ties.

(Cover: A supporter of Jair Bolsonaro wears a mask of US President Donald Trump before the national convention of the Party for Socialism and Liberation where he is to be formalized as a candidate for Brazil's presidency, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 22, 2018. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): Reuters