Sun Nov 17 06:55:53 UTC 2024: ## Biden to Become First Sitting US President to Visit the Amazon
**Manaus, Brazil** – President Joe Biden will make history this Sunday as the first sitting US president to visit the Amazon rainforest. The trip, part of Biden’s final South American tour before leaving office, will see him land in Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon, en route to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. This visit stands in stark contrast to the near-fatal Amazonian expedition undertaken by his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, in 1914.
Roosevelt, famed for his adventurous spirit, embarked on a perilous journey to chart the then-unnamed Rio da Duvida (River of Doubt) with Brazilian explorer Candido Rondon. The 470-mile expedition proved incredibly challenging, resulting in several deaths and leaving Roosevelt himself suffering from malaria and a severe leg infection. His great-grandson later recounted that Roosevelt was near death on several occasions. Despite warnings from friends, Roosevelt, who had previously stated he was ready to die in the Amazon, persisted. The expedition was ultimately saved by encountering rubber tappers who provided crucial assistance. Though the river was later renamed the Roosevelt River in his honor, Roosevelt never fully recovered from his ordeal, eventually dying in 1919 from a blood clot.
Biden’s visit to the Amazon highlights a significant shift in focus compared to Roosevelt’s personal adventure, marking a potential symbolic moment for the outgoing administration’s engagement with South America.
First Piper 