MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian vice-president supports Bolsonaro's son as ambassador in Washington

Eduardo Bolsonaro currently serves as a congressman and heads the foreign relations commission in the lower house.

Brazil’s vice president said he didn’t see “any problems” with President Jair Bolsonaro’s possible nomination of his son as ambassador to the United States, rebutting accusations that nepotism had tainted the appointment process for a coveted diplomatic posting.

President Jair Bolsonaro has said he is considering nominating his son to be U.S. ambassador, but has not formally proposed him for the position. Eduardo Bolsonaro currently serves as a congressman and heads the foreign relations commission in the lower house.

In response to criticism, Vice President Hamilton Mourao expressed support for the idea and said he believed Eduardo Bolsonaro met the country’s legal requirements for the job.

“It is a decision of the president,” Mourao said. “We don’t discuss decisions. We comply with them.”

Mourao also stressed at a meeting with foreign correspondents that the country would preserve its biodiversity and remain part of the Paris agreement, weeks after the government threatened to leave the accord.

“I think we need to appease the rest of the world, we will protect the biomass that we have in Brazil,” Mourao said. “This environmental agenda is global. No one can escape it and Brazil is aware of its responsibilities.”