New Delhi, Oct. 6 -- Brazil's presidential election could have consequences far beyond the country's domestic politics. A victory for Flavio Bolsonaro on 25 October would put Latin America's largest economy under a government more closely aligned with US President Donald Trump, potentially giving Washington a new partner in a region where security, trade and competition with China are becoming increasingly intertwined.

The stakes are unusually high because Brazil is not simply another country moving towards Washington. It accounts for about 31% of Latin America's gross domestic product, making it the region's largest economy, and plays an influential role in BRICS, Mercosur and the wider Global South.

Trump has built relationships with ...