The administration of US President Donald Trump has appointed Darren Beattie to a strategic post with direct influence over US policy towards Brazil, in a decision that could impact the diplomatic balance between the two countries. The information was released by Reuters on Friday (27), based on sources familiar with the appointment.
According to Reuters, Beattie, who also serves as acting Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, was chosen to act as a senior advisor responsible for overseeing issues related to Brazil. A senior State Department official confirmed that he “currently serves as a senior advisor for Brazil Policy.” The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not commented.
The nomination comes in a context of diplomatic relations marked by advances and setbacks. In August, Beattie provoked a reaction from the Brazilian government by publishing on the X network criticisms of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, whom he called “the main architect of the censorship and persecution complex directed against [Jair] Bolsonaro.” At the time, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry summoned the top US diplomat in Brasília to provide explanations.
Moraes led the criminal proceedings that resulted in Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction for participating in a coup plot to annul the results of the 2022 presidential election. The former president is serving a 27-year prison sentence. Months earlier, in July, the United States had imposed sanctions against the Supreme Court Justice, alleging that he authorized arbitrary preventive detentions and restricted freedom of expression in cases related to the coup attempts. The sanctions were later lifted.
After the sanctions were announced, former federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro publicly thanked Beattie, also via the X network. Meanwhile, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) appears as the main opponent of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in the presidential race scheduled for October.
Sources within the Brazilian government, speaking to Reuters, stated that they were not yet formally aware of the appointment and assessed that the impact of the choice will depend on the degree of internal influence Beattie will exert within the State Department. However, the advisor’s previous public statements are causing concern.
Relations between Brasília and Washington faced turbulence after Trump’s inauguration. In addition to sanctions against Brazilian officials, the United States imposed tariffs on Brazilian products, a measure Trump justified as a response to what he called unfair persecution against Bolsonaro. The situation began to change after a meeting between Lula and the US president during the UN General Assembly in New York in September, when Trump stated that they had “immediate chemistry.” By the end of the year, some of the tariffs were reduced.
The next decisive moment could occur in the coming weeks. Lula has stated that he intends to travel to Washington in March, which could redefine the course of bilateral dialogue.
Beattie holds other important positions. In addition to his new role related to Brazil, he is the interim head of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department and chairs the U.S. Institute of Peace, a Congressional-funded organization dedicated to mediating international conflicts. In December, the Trump administration announced a name change for the institution to the “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace,” although there are questions about the legal authority for the change.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Beattie stated that the American intelligence community could be behind assassination attempts against Trump. He also faced criticism after writing on social media that “competent white men should be in charge if you want things to work.”
Beattie’s selection for Brazil-focused policy comes amid this history of controversy and adds a new element of uncertainty to the relationship between the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere, on the eve of a possible visit by Lula to the US capital.
Source: brasil247.com