Rio de Janeiro — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro reversed course Monday and decided to send an official representative to neighboring Argentina's presidential inauguration ceremony. Vice President Hamilton Mourão will attend Tuesday's inauguration of Alberto Fernández, said the press office of the Brazilian foreign relations ministry, which declined to provide a reason for the change. Earlier Monday, the presidential office had confirmed that no emissary was being sent. In recent months, the left-leaning Fernández and the far-right Bolsonaro have traded barbs in the press stemming from their ideological differences. Bolsonaro's decision not to attend personally will be the first time in 17 years that a Brazilian head of state has not attended a presidential inauguration in Argentina, which is Brazil's third largest trading partner.

Source: International New York Times December 09, 2019 23:26 UTC