When Brazil’s far-right politician Flávio Bolsonaro accepted his party’s nomination for president on Saturday he failed to mention US president Donald Trump in his acceptance speech.
It was a notable omission by the senator who has assiduously courted Trump, lobbying hard to get a photo-opportunity with him in the Oval Office in May.
It was all the more noteworthy because at the convention in São Paulo there were frequent mentions of the right-wing “blue wave” sweeping Latin American politics.
The phrase refers to a string of victories in presidential contests from Honduras to Chile by conservative candidates that have sought to closely align themselves with the US leader, whom the Bolsonaros have previously lionised.
Flávio hopes the blue wave sweeping the region will next carry him to victory over leftist incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October’s elections.
