"Both our nations’ strong democracies have been tested of late, very much tested,” Biden said on Friday.
Lula won the Brazilian presidency in October, beating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula has compared to former US President Donald Trump.
In January, supporters of Bolsonaro stormed several government buildings in Brazil as part of demonstrations against the election outcome. The situation has been compared to Trump supporters delaying election certification results by storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Bolsonaro has since lived in the US and applied for a visa to stay in the country amid lawsuits in Brazil. In his first speech in the US since leaving office, Bolsonaro said he would “not give up” on Brazil and will take the moment to “recharge.”
Biden and Lula are set to discuss democracy and extremism during their meeting in Washington. The visit is Lula’s second foreign trip as president and his first time meeting Biden in-person in the role, although Biden called Lula after his electoral victory in October and after the anti-government demonstrations in January.