The Signal of Change
President Joe Biden's recent decision to support the waiver of COVID-19 vaccine patents surprised observers worldwide, marking a significant shift in international policy and causing dismay among pharmaceutical companies and the WTO. This move exposed the diplomatic isolation of Brazil's Bolsonaro government, which uniquely opposed the waiver among emerging nations, following the controversial stance of former Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo, who created serious vaccine supply issues by aligning with Donald Trump's pandemic denial. The article posits that U.S. policy decisions historically echo across Latin America, citing parallels from the 19th-century independence movements to post-WWII economic and political influences, including Brazil's participation in the war and subsequent agreements. It critiques the persistent influence of U.S. ideologies like the Washington Consensus, embodied by figures like Paulo Guedes, and contrasts Biden's experienced leadership, likened to Ulysses Guimarães and Severo Gomes, with Bolsonaro's perceived lack of understanding of global realities and responsibilities, framing Biden's presidency as the first clear signal of a much-needed societal change in the post-pandemic world, challenging outdated rhetoric and emphasizing rapid adaptation.