Leaders of Brazil and Mexico yet to congratulate Biden

BRASILIA/MEXICO CITY • The presidents of Latin America's two largest countries have held back from congratulating Mr Joe Biden on winning the United States presidential election, even as other leaders of allied countries around the globe sent their best wishes.

Mr Biden, a Democrat, cleared the threshold of 270 electoral college votes needed to win the presidency last Saturday, after four days of ballot counting following the Nov 3 election. Incumbent Republican President Donald Trump has yet to concede.

Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro had boasted he would be the first leader in the world to congratulate Mr Trump, for whom he has expressed admiration, on his re-election. But he has been silent on the matter in recent days.

In Mexico, leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reiterated that he would not recognise the election winner until legal disputes were resolved, but said he had "no problem" with Mr Biden.

Mr Trump has launched an array of lawsuits to press claims of election fraud, without producing evidence. State officials have said they are not aware of any significant irregularities.

Mr Lopez Obrador and Mr Bolsonaro are part of a shrinking group of world leaders to not congratulate Mr Biden. They include Russia's Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping and North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

In contrast, the leaders of US allies such as Britain, Japan, France, South Korea and Australia, as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, have all congratulated Mr Biden and his running mate, Ms Kamala Harris.

Mr Bolsonaro's silence could herald a rocky start in bilateral relations with Mr Biden, who is expected to put Amazon deforestation and human rights at the top of his agenda with Brazil.

"I think the President is waiting for this imbroglio over fraudulent votes to be resolved: if there is nothing, he will give his view," Brazil Vice-President Hamilton Mourao told reporters on Monday.

Mr Lopez Obrador, who accused his opponents of electoral fraud during his unsuccessful 2006 and 2012 presidential bids, said he could not comment until the legal process was exhausted. "We have no differences with the Democratic Party candidate, Mr Biden. No problem with him."

REUTERS