Brazil Foreign Minister May Be Replaced in Cabinet Shakeup, VP Says

(Bloomberg) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro may soon replace Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo as part of an overhaul of his cabinet, Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Wednesday.

A “reorganization of government” could occur once Brazil’s congress names new leadership, Mourao suggested in an interview with Radio Bandeirantes. “Perhaps some ministers will be changed and, among them, the foreign minister himself,” he said.

Brazil’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment about a potential change in leadership.

As the nation’s top diplomat, Araujo, 53, has amplified Bolsonaro’s controversial anti-China rhetoric abroad, and worked to deepen ties with the Trump administration. That stance has at times put him at odds with Mourao, a retired army general who has advocated for maintaining trade with China as Brazil recovers from recession.

Since President Joe Biden took office, Bolsonaro has tried to ease tensions with the 46th president after clashing over deforestation in the Amazon and echoing baseless claims that U.S. election was rigged.

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