Lula calls Bolsonaro family traitors for fuelling US tariff threat against Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused the family of former president Jair Bolsonaro of undermining Brazil’s interests and contributing to a new U.S. tariff threat against the country.
Speaking during a visit to the Municipal University Hospital in Catalao on Tuesday, Lula linked the proposed 25 percent tariff on Brazilian imports to actions by members of the Bolsonaro family in Washington.
“Yesterday I heard from the news that the US decided to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Brazil, precisely when we were in negotiations and when I had had a meeting with President Trump,” Lula said.
He singled out Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who recently met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, accusing him of encouraging foreign interference in Brazil’s affairs.
“Those Bolsonaro sons manage to be worse than him and are, in fact, sellers of the homeland,” Lula said. “They went to ask a foreign country to interfere in Brazilian decisions.”
Lula argued that the dispute went beyond trade issues and was linked to political lobbying by Bolsonaro allies within the U.S. administration.
He also criticised U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing him as hostile toward Latin America and claiming he had warned Trump that Rubio “doesn't like Brazil.”
The Brazilian president said any attempt to use international pressure against his government would ultimately harm Brazil’s economy and reiterated the need to diversify export markets and reduce dependence on the United States.
Flavio Bolsonaro has denied supporting punitive measures against Brazil, saying he urged U.S. officials not to target Brazilian companies during his visit.
Lula rejected that explanation, accusing the senator of misrepresenting his actions and claiming he had previously supported similar measures against the country.
The dispute comes after Washington announced plans on Monday to impose a 25 percent tariff on Brazilian imports, raising tensions between Latin America’s largest economy and the United States.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
