MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Flávio Bolsonaro agrees US tariffs are unfair, says solution is broad amnesty

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro insisted a blanket amnesty would reverse Trump's measure

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), a son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has acknowledged that the 50% tariffs imposed by the US Republican Government of Donald Trump on Brazilian exports were “unfair” to his country's productive sector. However, in an interview with Globonews, he argued that the solution was a return to “normality,” which he defined as granting a broad amnesty for those involved in the Jan. 8, 2023, riots in Brasilia.

“Obviously, I think it's unfair. It's unfair. Now, once again, we have to resolve it. And the sooner we resolve it, the better. That's why we have until August 1 to start something, to start signaling that Brazil is willing to return to normality,” he said.

Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) is treating these events as an attempted coup d'état, which his father is believed to have masterminded. Trump explicitly linked the tariffs to the ongoing judicial proceedings. In addition, Flávio's brother, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, also stated earlier this week that Trump's letter resulted from his efforts in the US to seek sanctions against the Brazilian judiciary.

Flávio Bolsonaro defended an amnesty as an “important gesture” to signal Brazil's willingness to return to “normality,” given Trump's assertion that the trial against Bolsonaro Sr was a “witch hunt.” He also suggested that Trump viewed the situation in Latin America through the lens of Venezuela, aiming to prevent Brazil from becoming “another bunker for [China].”

“We are here discussing how to get out of this mess. I am talking about the way forward. We get out of this mess by returning Brazil to normality. To begin with, I imagine that this is it and it will be an important gesture, to approve a broad, general, and unrestricted amnesty, since in his letter he clearly states that it is a witch hunt against Bolsonaro,” said the Senator.