Bolsonaro Gives Up Appointing His Son As Ambassador to the U.S.

(Bloomberg) -- President Jair Bolsonaro appointed an experienced career diplomat as Brazil’s ambassador to the U.S., ending months of fruitless efforts to give the job to his own son.

Bolsonaro on Thursday said he has chosen Nestor Forster as Brazil’s top envoy in Washington. His name will soon be submitted to the U.S. administration, he added.

“He is an active person who would be a good name for Washington,” the president told reporters in Tokyo, one of the stops of a trip of more than 10 days to Asia and the Middle East.

Forster, a 56 year-old diplomat with large experience in the U.S., is currently the charge d’affaires at the Brazilian embassy in Washington. Bolsonaro had previously appointed his son Eduardo, a lawmaker without diplomatic experience, for the job.

While the Trump administration had given the green light to Eduardo, the president never submitted his son’s name to Brazil’s Senate as he tried to gain enough congressional support for his approval. More recently, however, Eduardo became the leader of the ruling PSL party in the lower house as the Bolsonaro family fought for control over the party ahead of next year’s municipal elections.

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.