'Bolsonaro is not being persecuted, he attempted a coup,' Lula tells Trump amid tariff threat
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has once again criticised U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods in response to legal actions against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump recently threatened Brazil with higher tariffs, citing ongoing criminal charges against Bolsonaro. He referred to the legal proceedings as a “witch hunt” against his right-wing political ally and warned that the tariffs would take effect unless the Brazilian government stops the alleged “persecution” of Bolsonaro.
Speaking during an event in Osasco, São Paulo, on Friday, July 25, President Lula addressed Trump's remarks and rejected the basis for the proposed tariffs.
"If President Trump had called me, I would certainly have explained to him what is happening with the former president, and I would have explained why I have a good relationship with everyone… Bolsonaro is not being persecuted. He is being tried with full legal rights to a defence. He attempted a coup in this country,” Lula said.
Jair Bolsonaro, a former military officer who served as president from 2019 to 2023, has been accused of attempting to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election, which he lost to Lula. Bolsonaro has denied the allegations and stated that he “never violated democracy or the constitution.”
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This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
