Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro denied that the US government withheld Brazil’s admission into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). During his traditional live broadcast on Facebook Thursday (Oct 10) he said US support for Romania and Argentina was known, adding that Brazil will have its opportunity to join the so-called “rich countries club,” as the bloc is often referred to, sometime in the future.

“We’re nearly there, but two countries had the lead, Argentina and Romania, and this was once again expressed today,” the president said. “You can’t just show up and be expected to be let inside. The (OECD) carries out its selection bit by bit, one drop at a time, to make sure the new country meets everything that’s in the OECD statute, because they can’t make a mistake,” Bolsonaro explained.

Earlier on, Bloomberg reported that the US government through State Secretary Mike Pompeo rejected a request to discuss the enlargement of OECD, which currently includes 36 nations—most in Europe and North America. The information was said to be found in a letter sent by Pompeo to OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. In it, the US formally back the entry of Argentina and Romania into the group.

Embassy confirms support

The US embassy in Brasília released an official note to restate its support for Brazil’s membership, but noted that the expansion of the bloc must follow “a measured pace that takes into account the need to press for governance and succession planning.”

“The first time I was with (US President) Donald Trump, I asked for this support. He gave it to us immediately. Now, it doesn’t depend on him alone, we have to turn to all countries, because there must be unanimity,” Bolsonaro argued.