Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday slammed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the “mortal enemy” of some Latin American countries as he reacted to the threat of fresh tariffs.
The up-and-down relationship between Washington and Brasilia has soured again, less than a month after a three-hour meeting between Lula and US President Donald Trump that both sides hailed as positive.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative has proposed 25 percent tariffs on Brazilian goods with some exemptions alleging “unreasonable acts, policies, and practices” by the Latin American giant.
Lula, 80, said the proposed tariffs came “while we were still in negotiations” as he and Trump had agreed on a 30-day period to iron out trade issues.
Lula is seeking a fourth term in office in October and his main rival is Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro an ally of Trump.
Last week Flavio Bolsonaro and his brother Eduardo met with Trump and Rubio in Washington.
“That Marco Rubio guy…the mortal enemy of several Latin American countries…was not present at the meeting I held with Trump,” said Lula, pointing to his potential involvement in the decision.
The tariff threat is the second blow to Lula in the wake of his attempt at a conciliatory meeting with Trump.
Last week the US designated two major Brazilian crime factions as terrorist groups a move Brasilia has long opposed.
Last year, Trump hit Brazil with steep tariffs as punishment for what he called a “witch hunt” against Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest for an attempted coup.
However, these were lifted after a first official meeting between Lula and Trump.
Flavio Bolsonaro said in an interview he had specifically requested that Trump and Rubio not tax Brazilian companies, but “they do not trust Lula.”
On Tuesday, Trump shared photos of his visit with Flavio Bolsonaro, writing on social media that he was a “smart young man who loves his Country, Brazil, very much.”
The US investigation into alleged unfair trade practices by Brazil cited the country’s crackdown on online disinformation, which has led to court-ordered content takedowns, fines, and restrictions on US digital platforms.
It also mentioned the country’s free PIX electronic payment system which is accused of undermining the competitiveness of US companies and said Brazil had failed to take sufficient action against corruption and illegal deforestation.
A final decision on the tariffs will be taken after a public hearing on July 6.
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