Left-wing Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, condemned US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and criticism of the Brazilian judiciary in a televised address on Thursday.
Trump has threatened 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods starting from August 1.
The US president has said the tariffs would stay in place until legal charges were dropped against former conservative Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro is on trial over allegations that he was involved in a coup attempt after the 2022 presidential election, which he lost to Lula. Bolsonaro has denied the allegations.
Lula says Brazilian politicians who back Trump are ‘traitors’
Lula called the the tariff threat from Trump “unacceptable blackmail.” He also said “attempting to interfere in Brazilian justice is a grave attack on national sovereignty.”
Lula characterized Brazilian politicians who back Trump’s policies as “traitors to the homeland.”
“No foreigner is going to give order to this president,” Lula said, using the word “gringo” to refer to Trump. The word “gringo” is commonly used by Brazilians, it refers to foreigners and is not used in an offensive manner.
In an interview earlier Thursday with CNN, Lula denied that the proceedings against Bolsonaro are politically motivated. “The judiciary branch of power in Brazil is independent. The president of the Republic has no influence whatsoever,” he said.
Although Lula has criticized Trump, he has emphasized that he wants a “good relationship” with the US president.
Trump posts sympathy letter to Bolsonaro
Lula’s condemnation of Trump comes as the US president posted a sympathy letter aimed at Bolsonaro on his Truth Social account.
“I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you,” Trump said in his letter to Bolsonaro. “I have strongly voiced my disapproval both publicly and through our tariff policy.”
Trump also alluded to the suspension of the conservative video platform Rumble in Brazil, saying that the Latin American nation is cracking down on free speech.
As Trump lashes out at the legal proceedings against Bolsonaro, The Washington Post newspaper reported that the Trump administration is considering sanctions against a key Brazilian Supreme Court judge.
Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes will be tasked with deciding whether Bolsonaro and codefendants will spend dozens of years in jail over the coup charges. The Washington Post reported that Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo, is working with US officials to impose sanctions on Moraes.
The dispute between the US and Brazil comes ahead of Brazilian presidential elections next year. Lula has suggested that he does not rule out a 2026 presidential run, and he may emphasize his Brazilian sovereignty message as a key part of his electoral platform if the feud with Trump continues into next year.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
