Latest news with #pro-Bolsonaro
06-08-2025
- Politics
Division among Brazilians over Bolsonaro house arrest order could set the tone for next election
SAO PAULO -- Brazilians were divided Tuesday over a house arrest order against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot to remain in office. The division could set the tone for next year's general election. Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday issued the order in a case that has gripped the South American country even as it faces a trade war with the Trump administration. Supporters of the far-right leader and some moderates see the ruling as harsh, while allies of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other moderates want to move on and leave the issue for the judiciary. Creomar de Souza, a political analyst with Dharma Political Risk and Strategy, a political consultancy firm based in Brasilia, said that could be the dynamic of next year's election. 'One is the effort of Bolsonaro supporters to keep strong on the right, no matter if it is pushing for amnesty in congress or putting themselves physically out there,' the analyst said. 'The second is how the Lula administration will try to show that the country has a government.' Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who put Bolsonaro on trial for his alleged role in the coup plot to keep him in office despite his defeat in the 2022 election, ordered the 70-year-old former president's arrest for violating precautionary measures imposed on him by spreading content through his three lawmaker sons. That decision followed one from the court last month ordering Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor and to obey a curfew while the proceedings are underway. The polarization between supporters and critics of the former president took Brazil's congress by storm Tuesday and was also reflected in figures from pollster Quaest, which say 53% are favorable to the order against the far-right leader and 47% against it. Analysts expect another narrow election next year, with Lula running for reelection and Bolsonaro barred. The political repercussions in Brazil are getting attention from the U.S. government as President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on imported Brazilian goods to his ally's judicial situation. Late on Monday, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs condemned the far-right leader's order for house arrest and attacked de Moraes. Since de Moraes' order, Bolsonaro allies are pledging to stop congress unless an amnesty bill is passed in favor of the far-right leader and his supporters involved in the coup plot probe. Early on Tuesday, a group of 40 pro-Bolsonaro lawmakers told journalists in the capital Brasilia they will push hard for the former president's release. Altineu Cortes, the conservative deputy speaker of the lower house, said he will put the amnesty bill to a vote if he gets the chance. 'I've already told speaker Hugo Motta that I will do that in the first moment I am working as the speaker of the house during one of his trips abroad,' Cortes said. Later, many of the same lawmakers protested in the lower house and the senate by blocking access to the presiding tables. "This is an arbitrary action,' said Sen. Davi Alcolumbre, the president of Brazil's senate. 'I call for serenity and spirit of cooperation. We need to start working with respect, civility and dialogue so congress can fulfill its mission in favor of Brazil and our population.' Members of Brazil's opposition say such a move would also allow Bolsonaro to run in next year's election, from which he was barred by the country's top electoral court for abuse of power in 2022. That claim is denied by many legal experts and also by Supreme Court justices. Meanwhile, Lula and his allies initially showed they wanted to move past the issue of Bolsonaro's house arrest and focus on trade negotiations with Trump, who imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian import goods starting Wednesday. Trump's justification for the measure was what he called unfair treatment of the far-right leader. 'I don't want to speak about what happened to that other Brazilian citizen who tried to stage a coup,' Lula said during a long speech in Brasilia on Tuesday. The leftist leader added he will not call Trump to talk about trade 'because he doesn't want to" speak about it. Lula said he might instead 'invite him to attend (November's climate summit) COP in Belem.' 'I came here with the compromise of not wasting much time speaking about tariffs. I will just say the least I can. If I didn't (say anything) you would go: 'Why didn't Lula speak about it? Is he afraid of Trump?' And I don't want you to leave with that impression," he said. Members of Lula's Cabinet have also avoided discussing Bolsonaro's future. A Brazilian government staffer told The Associated Press that Lula told his ministers that his reelection depends on governing, not on his predecessor's future. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly. If the next Brazilian election has the same standard of the previous face off between Lula and Bolsonaro, the winner will be decided by turnout and a very slim number of moderates. Gov. Eduardo Leite, a moderate from the Rio Grande do Sul state, embodied the split among many Brazilian voters who will likely have to chose one of the two camps in 2026. A critic of de Moraes' actions against Bolsonaro, Leite does not condone the former president's actions either. "I don't like the idea of a former president not being able to speak, and even less see him get arrested for that before he is put on trial at the Supreme Court,' Leite said. 'Our country does not deserve to remain hostage to this legal-political tug of war that only hinders us all.' Gilberto Kassab, the chairman of the centrist Social Democratic Party, has both Bolsonaro and Lula supporters in his party's ranks and said 'exaggeration on both sides are contaminating Brazil.' 'I express my solidarity to the former president, I regret his arrest without discussing the merits of the issue. This is all that the country did not need,' Kassab said in a statement.
San Francisco Chronicle
05-08-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Division among Brazilians over Bolsonaro house arrest order could set the tone for next election
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilians were divided Tuesday over a house arrest order against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot to remain in office. The division could set the tone for next year's general election. Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday issued the order in a case that has gripped the South American country even as it faces a trade war with the Trump administration. Supporters of the far-right leader and some moderates see the ruling as harsh, while allies of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other moderates want to move on and leave the issue for the judiciary. Creomar de Souza, a political analyst with Dharma Political Risk and Strategy, a political consultancy firm based in Brasilia, said that could be the dynamic of next year's election. 'One is the effort of Bolsonaro supporters to keep strong on the right, no matter if it is pushing for amnesty in congress or putting themselves physically out there,' the analyst said. 'The second is how the Lula administration will try to show that the country has a government.' Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who put Bolsonaro on trial for his alleged role in the coup plot to keep him in office despite his defeat in the 2022 election, ordered the 70-year-old former president's arrest for violating precautionary measures imposed on him by spreading content through his three lawmaker sons. That decision followed one from the court last month ordering Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor and to obey a curfew while the proceedings are underway. The polarization between supporters and critics of the former president took Brazil's congress by storm Tuesday and was also reflected in figures from pollster Quaest, which say 53% are favorable to the order against the far-right leader and 47% against it. Analysts expect another narrow election next year, with Lula running for reelection and Bolsonaro barred. The political repercussions in Brazil are getting attention from the U.S. government as President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on imported Brazilian goods to his ally's judicial situation. Late on Monday, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs condemned the far-right leader's order for house arrest and attacked de Moraes. Bolsonaro blockade Since de Moraes' order, Bolsonaro allies are pledging to stop congress unless an amnesty bill is passed in favor of the far-right leader and his supporters involved in the coup plot probe. Early on Tuesday, a group of 40 pro-Bolsonaro lawmakers told journalists in the capital Brasilia they will push hard for the former president's release. Altineu Cortes, the conservative deputy speaker of the lower house, said he will put the amnesty bill to a vote if he gets the chance. 'I've already told speaker Hugo Motta that I will do that in the first moment I am working as the speaker of the house during one of his trips abroad,' Cortes said. Later, many of the same lawmakers protested in the lower house and the senate by blocking access to the presiding tables. "This is an arbitrary action,' said Sen. Davi Alcolumbre, the president of Brazil's senate. 'I call for serenity and spirit of cooperation. We need to start working with respect, civility and dialogue so congress can fulfill its mission in favor of Brazil and our population.' Members of Brazil's opposition say such a move would also allow Bolsonaro to run in next year's election, from which he was barred by the country's top electoral court for abuse of power in 2022. That claim is denied by many legal experts and also by Supreme Court justices. Moving on Meanwhile, Lula and his allies initially showed they wanted to move past the issue of Bolsonaro's house arrest and focus on trade negotiations with Trump, who imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian import goods starting Wednesday. Trump's justification for the measure was what he called unfair treatment of the far-right leader. 'I don't want to speak about what happened to that other Brazilian citizen who tried to stage a coup,' Lula said during a long speech in Brasilia on Tuesday. The leftist leader added he will not call Trump to talk about trade 'because he doesn't want to" speak about it. Lula said he might instead 'invite him to attend (November's climate summit) COP in Belem.' 'I came here with the compromise of not wasting much time speaking about tariffs. I will just say the least I can. If I didn't (say anything) you would go: 'Why didn't Lula speak about it? Is he afraid of Trump?' And I don't want you to leave with that impression," he said. Members of Lula's Cabinet have also avoided discussing Bolsonaro's future. A Brazilian government staffer told The Associated Press that Lula told his ministers that his reelection depends on governing, not on his predecessor's future. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly. Moderates speak If the next Brazilian election has the same standard of the previous face off between Lula and Bolsonaro, the winner will be decided by turnout and a very slim number of moderates. Gov. Eduardo Leite, a moderate from the Rio Grande do Sul state, embodied the split among many Brazilian voters who will likely have to chose one of the two camps in 2026. A critic of de Moraes' actions against Bolsonaro, Leite does not condone the former president's actions either. "I don't like the idea of a former president not being able to speak, and even less see him get arrested for that before he is put on trial at the Supreme Court,' Leite said. 'Our country does not deserve to remain hostage to this legal-political tug of war that only hinders us all.' Gilberto Kassab, the chairman of the centrist Social Democratic Party, has both Bolsonaro and Lula supporters in his party's ranks and said 'exaggeration on both sides are contaminating Brazil.' 'I express my solidarity to the former president, I regret his arrest without discussing the merits of the issue. This is all that the country did not need,' Kassab said in a statement.
Winnipeg Free Press
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Division among Brazilians over Bolsonaro house arrest order could set the tone for next election
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilians were divided Tuesday over a house arrest order against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot to remain in office. The division could set the tone for next year's general election. Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday issued the order in a case that has gripped the South American country even as it faces a trade war with the Trump administration. Supporters of the far-right leader and some moderates see the ruling as harsh, while allies of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other moderates want to move on and leave the issue for the judiciary. Creomar de Souza, a political analyst with Dharma Political Risk and Strategy, a political consultancy firm based in Brasilia, said that could be the dynamic of next year's election. 'One is the effort of Bolsonaro supporters to keep strong on the right, no matter if it is pushing for amnesty in congress or putting themselves physically out there,' the analyst said. 'The second is how the Lula administration will try to show that the country has a government.' Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who put Bolsonaro on trial for his alleged role in the coup plot to keep him in office despite his defeat in the 2022 election, ordered the 70-year-old former president's arrest for violating precautionary measures imposed on him by spreading content through his three lawmaker sons. That decision followed one from the court last month ordering Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor and to obey a curfew while the proceedings are underway. The polarization between supporters and critics of the former president took Brazil's congress by storm Tuesday and was also reflected in figures from pollster Quaest, which say 53% are favorable to the order against the far-right leader and 47% against it. Analysts expect another narrow election next year, with Lula running for reelection and Bolsonaro barred. The political repercussions in Brazil are getting attention from the U.S. government as President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on imported Brazilian goods to his ally's judicial situation. Late on Monday, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs condemned the far-right leader's order for house arrest and attacked de Moraes. Bolsonaro blockade Since de Moraes' order, Bolsonaro allies are pledging to stop congress unless an amnesty bill is passed in favor of the far-right leader and his supporters involved in the coup plot probe. Early on Tuesday, a group of 40 pro-Bolsonaro lawmakers told journalists in the capital Brasilia they will push hard for the former president's release. Altineu Cortes, the conservative deputy speaker of the lower house, said he will put the amnesty bill to a vote if he gets the chance. 'I've already told speaker Hugo Motta that I will do that in the first moment I am working as the speaker of the house during one of his trips abroad,' Cortes said. Later, many of the same lawmakers protested in the lower house and the senate by blocking access to the presiding tables. 'This is an arbitrary action,' said Sen. Davi Alcolumbre, the president of Brazil's senate. 'I call for serenity and spirit of cooperation. We need to start working with respect, civility and dialogue so congress can fulfill its mission in favor of Brazil and our population.' Members of Brazil's opposition say such a move would also allow Bolsonaro to run in next year's election, from which he was barred by the country's top electoral court for abuse of power in 2022. That claim is denied by many legal experts and also by Supreme Court justices. Moving on Meanwhile, Lula and his allies initially showed they wanted to move past the issue of Bolsonaro's house arrest and focus on trade negotiations with Trump, who imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian import goods starting Wednesday. Trump's justification for the measure was what he called unfair treatment of the far-right leader. 'I don't want to speak about what happened to that other Brazilian citizen who tried to stage a coup,' Lula said during a long speech in Brasilia on Tuesday. The leftist leader added he will not call Trump to talk about trade 'because he doesn't want to' speak about it. Lula said he might instead 'invite him to attend (November's climate summit) COP in Belem.' 'I came here with the compromise of not wasting much time speaking about tariffs. I will just say the least I can. If I didn't (say anything) you would go: 'Why didn't Lula speak about it? Is he afraid of Trump?' And I don't want you to leave with that impression,' he said. Members of Lula's Cabinet have also avoided discussing Bolsonaro's future. A Brazilian government staffer told The Associated Press that Lula told his ministers that his reelection depends on governing, not on his predecessor's future. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly. Moderates speak If the next Brazilian election has the same standard of the previous face off between Lula and Bolsonaro, the winner will be decided by turnout and a very slim number of moderates. Gov. Eduardo Leite, a moderate from the Rio Grande do Sul state, embodied the split among many Brazilian voters who will likely have to chose one of the two camps in 2026. A critic of de Moraes' actions against Bolsonaro, Leite does not condone the former president's actions either. 'I don't like the idea of a former president not being able to speak, and even less see him get arrested for that before he is put on trial at the Supreme Court,' Leite said. 'Our country does not deserve to remain hostage to this legal-political tug of war that only hinders us all.' Gilberto Kassab, the chairman of the centrist Social Democratic Party, has both Bolsonaro and Lula supporters in his party's ranks and said 'exaggeration on both sides are contaminating Brazil.' 'I express my solidarity to the former president, I regret his arrest without discussing the merits of the issue. This is all that the country did not need,' Kassab said in a statement. ___ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Saudi Gazette
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
US condemns house arrest of Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro
SAO PAULO – Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered that the former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro be put under house arrest. He is standing trial over allegations he plotted a coup, which he denies. The judge in charge of investigating Bolsonaro, Alexandre de Moraes, said the decision was because Bolsonaro hadn't complied with restraining orders put on him last month. In response to the order, Bolsonaro's legal team denied breaching any restraining order and said they would appeal the ruling, according to Reuters news agency. In a statement on X, the US state department said it "condemns" the court order and "will hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct". Donald Trump has used Bolsonaro's trial, which he calls a "witch-hunt", as a justification for imposing 50% tariffs on some Brazilian goods despite the US having a trade surplus with Brazil. Moraes, who the US has also sanctioned, said Bolsonaro had used the social networks of his allies including his sons to spread messages that encouraged attacks on the Supreme Court and foreign intervention in the Brazilian judiciary. On Sunday, pro-Bolsonaro rallies were held in various Brazilian cities. One of his sons, Flávio, who is a senator, briefly put his father on speakerphone to the crowd in Rio de Janeiro. Flávio also reportedly later published a video, which he deleted afterwards, of his father on the other side of the call sending a message to supporters. Moraes cited the incident in his ruling, saying Bolsonaro "deliberately flouted" previous restrictions, according to local media. "The flagrant disregard for the preventative measures was so obvious that – it bears repeating – the defendant's own son, senator Flávio Nantes Bolsonaro, decided to delete the post from his Instagram account in order to conceal the legal transgression," the ruling said. Moraes also banned Bolsonaro from receiving visits, except from lawyers or people authorised by the Supreme Court, and from using a mobile phone directly or through third parties. "Justice is blind, but it is not foolish," wrote Moraes, adding that the court "will not allow a defendant to make a fool of it, thinking that he will go unpunished because he has political and economic power". These restrictions were imposed because of allegations he was encouraging Donald Trump to interfere in the case. Trump and Bolsonaro enjoyed a friendly relationship when their presidencies overlapped, with the pair meeting at the White House in 2019. In a social media post last month, Trump voiced his support for the former president saying Bolsonaro "was not guilty of anything" and praised him as a "strong leader" who "truly loved his country". – BBC
The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Brazil's Lula pledges retaliation to Trump tariffs
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he wants to find a diplomatic solution to US President Donald Trump's threat of 50 per cent tariffs on Brazilian exports, but vowed to reciprocate like-for-like if they take effect on August 1. "We'll first try to negotiate, but if there's no negotiation, the law of reciprocity will be put into practice," Lula said in an interview with Record TV, citing a law Congress recently passed giving the president powers to retaliate against trade barriers. "If they're going to charge us 50, we'll charge them 50." The president is unlikely to announce any retaliatory measures until the tariffs are implemented, said a Brazilian diplomat who requested anonymity to describe internal government debates. "We have until August 1," the source said. In a letter to Lula published on Wednesday, Trump linked the tariffs to Brazil's judiciary launching legal proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial on charges of plotting a coup to stop Lula from taking office in 2023 after hundreds of pro-Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress. Trump said Bolsonaro was the victim of a "witch hunt." Lula criticised Bolsonaro for perpetuating claims of legal persecution, stressing the former president's son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, took leave from his role in Congress at least in part to head a campaign in his father's favour in the United States. "The former president of the Republic should take responsibility, because he is agreeing with Trump's taxation of Brazil. In fact, it was his son who went there to influence Trump's mind," Lula said. In a social media post late on Thursday, Bolsonaro said Trump's letter announcing tariffs was received with "a sense of responsibility," adding he respects and admires the US government. Bolsonaro argued the US measure was a reaction to Brazil's distancing from freedom. "This would never have happened under my government," he wrote. The former president also urged the powers to act by presenting measures to restore what he called "institutional normality". Lula said the government will set up a committee with Brazilian business leaders to "rethink" the country's commercial policy with the United States. He mentioned Brazil's new reciprocity law, passed just after Trump made his first tariff announcements in April, that allows the government to respond with reciprocal measures in case other countries impose unilateral barriers to Brazilian products. Beyond imposing counter tariffs, the law would also allow Lula to restrict imports and investments and suspend intellectual property rights from US firms, among other measures. The US is Brazil's second-largest trading partner after China and has a rare trade surplus with Latin America's largest economy. Some market sectors, including aviation and banking, felt immediate pressure. Shares of some Brazilian firms declined on Thursday, with planemaker Embraer and major banks such as Itau Unibanco and Banco Santander posting losses. But the tariffs could inflict pain in the US too, disrupting food prices, given Brazil's role as a major agricultural exporter of coffee, orange juice, sugar, beef, and ethanol. The proposed 50 per cent tariff would effectively halt the flow of Brazilian coffee to the US, its largest buyer, four trade sources told Reuters on Thursday. Brazilian industry lobby groups representing sectors such as coffee and oil issued statements on Thursday, urging a diplomatic solution. "We hope that diplomacy and balanced negotiations will prevail, despite ideologies and personal preferences, and that common sense will once again guide the relationship between these two great sovereign nations," Josue Gomes da Silva, the president of Sao Paulo industry group Fiesp, said in a statement. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he wants to find a diplomatic solution to US President Donald Trump's threat of 50 per cent tariffs on Brazilian exports, but vowed to reciprocate like-for-like if they take effect on August 1. "We'll first try to negotiate, but if there's no negotiation, the law of reciprocity will be put into practice," Lula said in an interview with Record TV, citing a law Congress recently passed giving the president powers to retaliate against trade barriers. "If they're going to charge us 50, we'll charge them 50." The president is unlikely to announce any retaliatory measures until the tariffs are implemented, said a Brazilian diplomat who requested anonymity to describe internal government debates. "We have until August 1," the source said. In a letter to Lula published on Wednesday, Trump linked the tariffs to Brazil's judiciary launching legal proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial on charges of plotting a coup to stop Lula from taking office in 2023 after hundreds of pro-Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress. Trump said Bolsonaro was the victim of a "witch hunt." Lula criticised Bolsonaro for perpetuating claims of legal persecution, stressing the former president's son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, took leave from his role in Congress at least in part to head a campaign in his father's favour in the United States. "The former president of the Republic should take responsibility, because he is agreeing with Trump's taxation of Brazil. In fact, it was his son who went there to influence Trump's mind," Lula said. In a social media post late on Thursday, Bolsonaro said Trump's letter announcing tariffs was received with "a sense of responsibility," adding he respects and admires the US government. Bolsonaro argued the US measure was a reaction to Brazil's distancing from freedom. "This would never have happened under my government," he wrote. The former president also urged the powers to act by presenting measures to restore what he called "institutional normality". Lula said the government will set up a committee with Brazilian business leaders to "rethink" the country's commercial policy with the United States. He mentioned Brazil's new reciprocity law, passed just after Trump made his first tariff announcements in April, that allows the government to respond with reciprocal measures in case other countries impose unilateral barriers to Brazilian products. Beyond imposing counter tariffs, the law would also allow Lula to restrict imports and investments and suspend intellectual property rights from US firms, among other measures. The US is Brazil's second-largest trading partner after China and has a rare trade surplus with Latin America's largest economy. Some market sectors, including aviation and banking, felt immediate pressure. Shares of some Brazilian firms declined on Thursday, with planemaker Embraer and major banks such as Itau Unibanco and Banco Santander posting losses. But the tariffs could inflict pain in the US too, disrupting food prices, given Brazil's role as a major agricultural exporter of coffee, orange juice, sugar, beef, and ethanol. The proposed 50 per cent tariff would effectively halt the flow of Brazilian coffee to the US, its largest buyer, four trade sources told Reuters on Thursday. Brazilian industry lobby groups representing sectors such as coffee and oil issued statements on Thursday, urging a diplomatic solution. "We hope that diplomacy and balanced negotiations will prevail, despite ideologies and personal preferences, and that common sense will once again guide the relationship between these two great sovereign nations," Josue Gomes da Silva, the president of Sao Paulo industry group Fiesp, said in a statement. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he wants to find a diplomatic solution to US President Donald Trump's threat of 50 per cent tariffs on Brazilian exports, but vowed to reciprocate like-for-like if they take effect on August 1. "We'll first try to negotiate, but if there's no negotiation, the law of reciprocity will be put into practice," Lula said in an interview with Record TV, citing a law Congress recently passed giving the president powers to retaliate against trade barriers. "If they're going to charge us 50, we'll charge them 50." The president is unlikely to announce any retaliatory measures until the tariffs are implemented, said a Brazilian diplomat who requested anonymity to describe internal government debates. "We have until August 1," the source said. In a letter to Lula published on Wednesday, Trump linked the tariffs to Brazil's judiciary launching legal proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial on charges of plotting a coup to stop Lula from taking office in 2023 after hundreds of pro-Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress. Trump said Bolsonaro was the victim of a "witch hunt." Lula criticised Bolsonaro for perpetuating claims of legal persecution, stressing the former president's son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, took leave from his role in Congress at least in part to head a campaign in his father's favour in the United States. "The former president of the Republic should take responsibility, because he is agreeing with Trump's taxation of Brazil. In fact, it was his son who went there to influence Trump's mind," Lula said. In a social media post late on Thursday, Bolsonaro said Trump's letter announcing tariffs was received with "a sense of responsibility," adding he respects and admires the US government. Bolsonaro argued the US measure was a reaction to Brazil's distancing from freedom. "This would never have happened under my government," he wrote. The former president also urged the powers to act by presenting measures to restore what he called "institutional normality". Lula said the government will set up a committee with Brazilian business leaders to "rethink" the country's commercial policy with the United States. He mentioned Brazil's new reciprocity law, passed just after Trump made his first tariff announcements in April, that allows the government to respond with reciprocal measures in case other countries impose unilateral barriers to Brazilian products. Beyond imposing counter tariffs, the law would also allow Lula to restrict imports and investments and suspend intellectual property rights from US firms, among other measures. The US is Brazil's second-largest trading partner after China and has a rare trade surplus with Latin America's largest economy. Some market sectors, including aviation and banking, felt immediate pressure. Shares of some Brazilian firms declined on Thursday, with planemaker Embraer and major banks such as Itau Unibanco and Banco Santander posting losses. But the tariffs could inflict pain in the US too, disrupting food prices, given Brazil's role as a major agricultural exporter of coffee, orange juice, sugar, beef, and ethanol. The proposed 50 per cent tariff would effectively halt the flow of Brazilian coffee to the US, its largest buyer, four trade sources told Reuters on Thursday. Brazilian industry lobby groups representing sectors such as coffee and oil issued statements on Thursday, urging a diplomatic solution. "We hope that diplomacy and balanced negotiations will prevail, despite ideologies and personal preferences, and that common sense will once again guide the relationship between these two great sovereign nations," Josue Gomes da Silva, the president of Sao Paulo industry group Fiesp, said in a statement. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he wants to find a diplomatic solution to US President Donald Trump's threat of 50 per cent tariffs on Brazilian exports, but vowed to reciprocate like-for-like if they take effect on August 1. "We'll first try to negotiate, but if there's no negotiation, the law of reciprocity will be put into practice," Lula said in an interview with Record TV, citing a law Congress recently passed giving the president powers to retaliate against trade barriers. "If they're going to charge us 50, we'll charge them 50." The president is unlikely to announce any retaliatory measures until the tariffs are implemented, said a Brazilian diplomat who requested anonymity to describe internal government debates. "We have until August 1," the source said. In a letter to Lula published on Wednesday, Trump linked the tariffs to Brazil's judiciary launching legal proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial on charges of plotting a coup to stop Lula from taking office in 2023 after hundreds of pro-Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress. Trump said Bolsonaro was the victim of a "witch hunt." Lula criticised Bolsonaro for perpetuating claims of legal persecution, stressing the former president's son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, took leave from his role in Congress at least in part to head a campaign in his father's favour in the United States. "The former president of the Republic should take responsibility, because he is agreeing with Trump's taxation of Brazil. In fact, it was his son who went there to influence Trump's mind," Lula said. In a social media post late on Thursday, Bolsonaro said Trump's letter announcing tariffs was received with "a sense of responsibility," adding he respects and admires the US government. Bolsonaro argued the US measure was a reaction to Brazil's distancing from freedom. "This would never have happened under my government," he wrote. The former president also urged the powers to act by presenting measures to restore what he called "institutional normality". Lula said the government will set up a committee with Brazilian business leaders to "rethink" the country's commercial policy with the United States. He mentioned Brazil's new reciprocity law, passed just after Trump made his first tariff announcements in April, that allows the government to respond with reciprocal measures in case other countries impose unilateral barriers to Brazilian products. Beyond imposing counter tariffs, the law would also allow Lula to restrict imports and investments and suspend intellectual property rights from US firms, among other measures. The US is Brazil's second-largest trading partner after China and has a rare trade surplus with Latin America's largest economy. Some market sectors, including aviation and banking, felt immediate pressure. Shares of some Brazilian firms declined on Thursday, with planemaker Embraer and major banks such as Itau Unibanco and Banco Santander posting losses. But the tariffs could inflict pain in the US too, disrupting food prices, given Brazil's role as a major agricultural exporter of coffee, orange juice, sugar, beef, and ethanol. The proposed 50 per cent tariff would effectively halt the flow of Brazilian coffee to the US, its largest buyer, four trade sources told Reuters on Thursday. Brazilian industry lobby groups representing sectors such as coffee and oil issued statements on Thursday, urging a diplomatic solution. "We hope that diplomacy and balanced negotiations will prevail, despite ideologies and personal preferences, and that common sense will once again guide the relationship between these two great sovereign nations," Josue Gomes da Silva, the president of Sao Paulo industry group Fiesp, said in a statement.
