MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula slams Trump over Brazil tariffs, accuses Bolsonaro of betrayal

The Brazilian government is preparing financial support measures for affected companies, as nationalist sentiment grows in response to what Lula describes as a direct attack on Brazil’s sovereignty

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva harshly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump following the implementation of a 50% tariff on Brazilian exports. Lula called Trump “authoritarian” with “anti-civilizational” behavior and accused him of creating “problems where there were none.”

“A president must not humiliate himself before another president. I respect everyone and demand respect in return,” Lula told Reuters, rejecting the idea of a phone call with Trump. “He doesn’t want to talk, and I have no intention of doing so.”

Lula also targeted former president Jair Bolsonaro and his son Eduardo, blaming them for encouraging the U.S. sanctions. “There is no precedent for a former president and his son promoting sanctions against their own country. They will have to be judged for that,” he said.

The U.S. measures appear politically rather than economically motivated. Trump has openly defended Bolsonaro—who is under investigation for an attempted coup in 2023—and claims he is the victim of a “witch hunt.” He also attacked Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. State Department under legislation targeting human rights violators and dictators.

Brazilian negotiators managed to exclude some 700 key products from the tariff list, including oil and aircraft, but no significant diplomatic breakthrough has been achieved.

“This is not a minor matter. It’s an attempt to impose rules on a sovereign country,” Lula warned. “When they want to talk, I’ll talk. But I will not act like Trump. I don’t want to fight with the United States.”

The Brazilian government is preparing financial support measures for affected companies, as nationalist sentiment grows in response to what Lula describes as a direct attack on Brazil’s sovereignty.