Jair Bolsonaro
Jair BolsonaroReuters

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on his election victory, Reuters reports.

“Greetings to the President Joe Biden, with my best wishes and the hope that the USA will remain ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave,’” Bolsonaro said in a statement published by Brazil’s Foreign Ministry.

“I will be ready to work with you and continue to build a Brazil-USA alliance, in defense of sovereignty, democracy and freedom around the world, as well as in trade integration,” he added.

Bolsonaro, who was close to outgoing US President Donald Trump and has been dubbed the “Trump of Brazil”, had previously been reluctant to recognize Biden’s victory and only did so after the Electoral College confirmed it.

Days after the election, upon being asked what he thought of the result, Bolsonaro quipped, “But has it finished, have the elections already finished?”

The Brazilian leader endorsed Trump for re-election in late October, saying, “God willing I will be able to attend” Trump’s second inauguration.