Right-Wing Brazilian President Cancels New York Trip Amid Protests, May Go To Dallas Instead

Brazil's right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro canceled his upcoming visit to New York due to backlash over his controversial positions on the environment and LGBT rights but his spokesman said he may consider a trip to Dallas.

Bolsonaro was originally due to speak on May 14 at the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce at a dinner event in New York where he would be given a Person of the Year award. Backlash from activists and politicians prompted the host venue to call off the event, with Bolsonaro's office telling Reuters that the cancelation was due to "the resistance and deliberate attacks by the Mayor of New York and the pressure of interest groups."

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in April called Bolsonaro "a dangerous man" and said "his overt racism, homophobia and destructive decisions will have a devastating impact on the future of our planet."

Bolsonaro, a strong opponent of same-sex marriage, has made controversial remarks on LGBT issues, recently saying that he didn't want Brazil to become "a gay tourism paradise." He also has promised to do away with environmental protections on the Amazon rainforest which threatens the reserves of the indigenous people living there and leaves it open to exploitation by Agribusiness, environmentalists argue.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings extended an invitation to Bolsonaro for May 14 to May 16, Reuters reported Monday. Texas is a more conservative state than New York, which means Bolsonaro would likely be given a warmer reception.

The cancelation for the New York trip comes as Brazilians have become increasingly disappointed with Bolsonaro's administration. The country remains plagued by economic problems, political corruption and violence.

Bolsonaro's approval ratings are the lowest of any president since the country's transition to a democracy, according to Brazilian polling institute Datafolha. A poll released by the organization on April 8 revealed that only 32 percent of Brazilians think Bolsonaro's leadership is "good" or "great" and 60 percent saying that his administration has fallen below expectations.

Bolsonaro, a member of the right-wing Social Conservative Party, began his term at the beginning of January and was elected on a platform of weeding out corruption and combating the country's high crime rates.

His main opponent during the campaign, the left-wing Worker's Party, was thrown into upheaval as its lead candidate, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was sentenced to jail on corruption charges in August of last year. Da Silva's imprisonment caused the Worker's Party to switch its lead candidate to Fernando Haddad and helped bolster public support for Bolsonaro, as he was able to paint the Worker's Party as responsible for the country's rampant corruption.