Biden to meet with Lula 1 month after attack on Brazilian government

President Biden will host Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Feb. 10, the White House announced Tuesday.

In a statement, the White House said the two presidents "will discuss the United States' unwavering support of Brazil's democracy and how the two countries can continue to work together to promote inclusion and democratic values in the region and around the world." They will also talk about numerous other matters, including economic development and climate change, the White House said.

Lula's visit will come just one month after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who Lula defeated in the presidential election last year, stormed the government buildings in the national capital, Brasília.

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Stemming from months of tension over Bolsonaro's disproven claims of voter fraud, the Brasilia siege echoed the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of former President Donald Trump, emboldened by his false claims of victory over Biden, stormed the U.S. Capitol.

While there were clear differences between the events, The New York Times notes, "The comparison is inevitable, and it's useful in some ways to make sense of what has happened in the Western Hemisphere's two most populous democracies."

Lula had replaced Bolsonaro as president two days before the storming, and Bolsonaro left had already Brazil for the United States, where he remains — and is currently seeking a six-month visa.

Biden condemned the violence in Brasília, along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador. In a joint statement, the three leaders said they "condemn the Jan. 8 attacks on Brazil's democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power. We stand with Brazil as it safeguards its democratic institutions."