Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira confirmed Wednesday that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva can discuss with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, the trade tariffs affecting the Brazilian economy, but not internal issues related to sovereignty, much less the legal proceedings against Jair Bolsonaro , the former president convicted of a coup.
Vieira appeared before the Chamber of Deputies’ Foreign Relations Committee, where he explained that the meeting between Lula and Trump , announced by the Republican leader himself during the UN General Assembly, is still being prepared. At that forum, the two leaders held a brief meeting, during which Trump said he felt a “chemistry” with Lula, opening the door to future dialogue.
However, the Brazilian foreign minister was emphatic in setting limits: “Expressly political reasons related to judicial proceedings in the Supreme Court have no place in a negotiation between sovereign states ,” he said, in clear reference to Trump’s insistence on linking the tariff sanctions to the trial against Bolsonaro.
Vieira also criticized the political and financial sanctions imposed by Washington on members of the Supreme Federal Court in retaliation for Bolsonaro’s conviction, emphasizing that these measures constitute unacceptable interference in internal affairs . “Measures with extraterritorial ambitions are unacceptable, just as aggressive stances toward the national judiciary are unproductive,” he stated.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that the 50% tariffs applied by the U.S. to Brazilian products lack economic support , as official data show that the United States has maintained a trade surplus with Brazil for more than 15 years.
While acknowledging Trump’s praise for Lula as “a new disposition” in the bilateral relationship, Vieira emphasized that Brazil will not renounce the defense of its national interests . “Our willingness to engage in dialogue will be firm and calm, based on concrete and reliable data, without futile provocations, and always to the benefit of both sides,” he stated.
it is funny because trump tariffs accelerated made bolsonaros case even worse, and the right wing is all split and infighting undecided on how to deal with the fallout of his own son conspiring against the country.
