Brazil's Bolsonaro nominates diplomat as ambassador to US

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has nominated career diplomat Nestor Forster to be ambassador to the United States, the country's national news agency Agencia Brasil reported Tuesday.

The nomination has been submitted to the Senate and is awaiting approval, the agency said.

Forster will go through a hearing in the Senate's Foreign Relations Commission and have his name approved in a voting session.

As Congress will close for the holidays on Dec. 16, final confirmation may not take place until 2020.

Forster is widely regarded as a strong candidate for the ambassador position. He has served as a diplomat since 1985 and is currently Brazil's charge d'affairs at its Washington embassy.

President Bolsonaro's decision to nominate Forster follows accusations of nepotism, after his earlier move to nominate his son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, to take the role of the ambassador to the United States.