Brazil’s President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva asserted on Thursday evening that President Donald Trump “lied” about Brazil being a partner of a so-called poor trading partner, emphasizing that Brazil would not bend to U.S. authority.
Lula’s comments came during an official event in Recife, where he responded to Trump’s criticisms of Brazil’s tariff practices and his remarks about the purported “political execution” of former President Jair Bolsonaro, which the U.S. leader had discussed earlier that day.
According to Lula, Trump “decided to lie about Brazil,” claiming the U.S. faced trade losses with the country. “It’s not true that the U.S. president says Brazil is a bad trading partner,” he stated. “Brazil is doing well; it simply won’t kneel to the U.S. government.”
Lula also pointed out, “You watch on TV, and you see numerous lies being told about Brazil by the U.S. government. Trump claims there’s a trade loss with Brazil, when in reality, it’s the opposite. He’s the one benefiting.”
In a response, Trump was asked if he was concerned about fostering closer ties with China in relation to Brazil, Mexico, and broader Latin America, noting that Brazil was perceived as a “scary trading partner” regarding tariffs.
“They impose such high tariffs on us, way more than we do on them. We hardly charge anything. Bolsonaro is facing jail time or is under threat of it,” Trump commented. “I know him, and I believe he’s an honest guy.”
Trump added, “What they’re doing now is like a political execution of Bolsonaro, and it’s truly unfortunate. Brazil has also treated us poorly. They’ve been among the worst countries to deal with in years.”
“Their tariffs are outrageous, making it increasingly tough to engage in trade. Now they’ve even set a 50% tariff.”
Lula, while portraying himself as a “man of peace,” expressed a desire not to confront nations like Uruguay, Bolivia, or Argentina, but insisted, “We must recognize that there’s only one person who can alter our standing.”
Discussing Trump’s defense of Bolsonaro, Lula remarked that if similar events to those of January 6, 2021, had occurred in Brazil, he would have been on trial. “Trump is anxious since he sees the parallels to Bolsonaro’s situation,” he said. “I told President Trump that if he did what he did in Brazil, he’d be held accountable and could end up in jail.”
The former President Bolsonaro has faced accusations of attempting to orchestrate a “coup” following his narrow defeat in the controversial 2022 presidential race against Lula. Brazilian officials, including prosecutor Paulo Gonette, contend that Bolsonaro played a significant role in the chaos that ensued on January 8, 2023, when thousands of his supporters stormed government buildings, causing substantial damage.
No fatalities or significant injuries resulted from this incident. Bolsonaro had returned to the U.S. in March.
In July, President Trump signed an executive order imposing a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, considering them a national security threat. He cited the ongoing persecution of Bolsonaro as a major factor behind the tariffs.
Trump suggested that Lula could contact him anytime to discuss trade issues. However, Lula mentioned he wouldn’t reach out, insisting that doing so would amount to humiliating himself. This week, Lula expressed frustrations that the Brazilian government has attempted to engage with the U.S. in various ways, but no one is willing to communicate. He also labeled Brazil as a more “democratic” country than the U.S.
Brazil’s Finance Minister Fernando Haddad claimed that a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent was canceled due to a purported “lack of agenda.”
