[The trade deal between the EU and Mercosur] is a very impressive step after a very long struggle, especially in the current inhospitable climate. A similar deal between Mercosur and the United States ought to have been on the cards, given the close relationship between Brazil’s ultra-conservative president Jair Bolsonaro and Trump, and the fact that Argentina’s center-right leader, Mauricio Macri, is a natural Washington ally. However, public statements from Macri, who was the driving force behind the Mercosur-EU deal, indicate he has given up any hope of that possibility. This is just a missed opportunity for the U.S. Just as Latin America is now trying to move its economies in this new direction, the U.S. is very passive and not taking advantage. It is just so unfortunate that the U.S. is out of sync, and losing influence in the region like this.