Trump to host his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro on March 19

US President Donald Trump will host his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro on March 19, the White House has said, the first meeting between the two rightwing leaders who have lavished praise on each other. The visit was announced by Brazil's foreign ministry last month but a firm date had not been finalized.

Bolsonaro, who entered office in January, has vowed to forge close ties with Washington after over a decade of leftist rule in Brazil, and has been dubbed "South America's Trump." "President Trump and President Bolsonaro will discuss how to build a more prosperous, secure, and democratic Western Hemisphere," the White House said on Friday. "The leaders of the Hemisphere's two largest economies will also discuss opportunities for defense cooperation, pro-growth trade policies, combatting transnational crime, and restoring democracy in Venezuela.

"Finally, they will talk about the major role that the United States and Brazil are playing in the effort to provide humanitarian assistance to Venezuela." Bolsonaro and Trump both favor regime change in Venezuela, and are harsh critics of the Cuban and Nicaraguan governments. Like Trump, Bolsonaro is a climate change sceptic, whose pro-business agenda and appointment of a like-minded right-winger as environment minister have done nothing to ease concerns about deforestation in the Amazon.

(With inputs from agencies.)