Upon the arrival of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to the Presidential Palace, he was awaited by dozens of supporters who participated in the patriotic celebrations on the country's 200th birthday. The festivities were organized by Bolsonaro ahead of the Oct. 2 elections, where he will seek reelection.

In another show of symbolism on the day, Bolsonaro also received Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as an honored guest of the state.

For his part, Rebelo de Sousa told local journalists that the relationship between Portugal and Brazil is "always good and exceptional."

The meeting and celebration took place in the so-called Esplanade of the Ministries, an avenue that concentrates all the buildings of the state.

A civic-military parade was held along the two kilometers of the avenue with an audience of about 40,000 people.

Brazil's independence from Portugal was proclaimed on Sept. 7, 1822 by the son of King João VI of Bragança, Dom Pedro I, who had arrived with his family on the Brazilian coast in 1808, fleeing the Napoleonic armies advancing on Europe.

In 1808, Brazil and England doubled their trade, and then signed the Anglo-Brazilian Treaty (1810), which imposed higher tariffs on Portuguese imports.

At the beginning of 1822, Don Pedro's promise to stay in the country was confirmed with the well-known "Eu fico" ("I stay"). He declared independence on a trip to São Paulo when he received news that Portugal wanted to end Brazil's autonomy.