Lula Hits Back at US Over Bolsonaro Conviction, Tariffs, Says Brazil’s Democracy ‘Not on the Table’

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has fired back at Washington, rejecting US criticism of Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction on coup charges and slamming President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on Brazilian exports as “misguided” and “illogical.”

Writing in an op-ed for The New York Times on Sunday, Lula said he wanted an “open and frank dialogue” with Trump but argued that the tariffs, 50 percent on key products such as coffee and beef — were politically motivated.

“The US has enjoyed a $410bn trade surplus with Brazil over the past 15 years,” Lula wrote. “It’s clear that the motivation of the White House is political.”

Lula accused Trump of using the tariffs to push for “impunity” for Bolsonaro, who was sentenced on Thursday to 27 years and three months in prison for orchestrating the January 8, 2023 riots in Brasilia, echoing the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

“This was not a witch hunt,” Lula said. “The judgment was the result of proceedings carried out in accordance with Brazil’s 1988 Constitution … following months of investigations that uncovered plans to assassinate me, the vice president and a Supreme Court justice.”

Bolsonaro, 70, made his first public appearance since the conviction with a hospital visit last week. Trump and his allies have blasted the ruling, calling it politically motivated. His secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has also threatened further action against Brazil, including sanctions on Supreme Court justices.

But Lula insisted that Brazil’s sovereignty is non-negotiable.

“President Trump, we remain open to negotiating anything that can bring mutual benefits,” he wrote. “But Brazil’s democracy and sovereignty are not on the table.”

Economists warn Trump’s tariffs could cost Brazil tens of thousands of jobs, but strong ties with other partners such as China, and hundreds of exemptions granted by the US on items like aircraft parts and orange juice, have softened the blow.

US consumers are already seeing higher prices on Brazilian imports such as coffee, which has been rising due to droughts.