Trump writes letter to Bolsonaro: Brazil's president calls tariffs "unacceptable blackmail"

The trade dispute between Brazil and the United States continues to escalate. Last week, US President Trump imposed tariffs of 50 percent on the country. He combined this with a plea for the indicted Brazilian ex-President Bolsonaro.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has condemned the 50 percent tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump against his country as "unacceptable blackmail." He will continue "to promote good trade and diplomatic relations," Lula said in a televised address. However, Brazil has "only one owner: the Brazilian people," the left-leaning president added. Brazilian politicians who support Trump's policies have called Lula a "traitor to the fatherland."

Last week, Trump announced tariffs of 50 percent against Brazil. He justified this with the Brazilian judiciary's actions against former President Jair Bolsonaro and the alleged "censorship" of US online platforms in the country. The US import tariffs on Brazilian products are scheduled to take effect on August 1 unless an agreement is reached beforehand. Lula immediately announced countermeasures.

Trump published a letter to Bolsonaro on Truth Social , calling for a change of course toward him: "I have seen how badly you are treated by an unjust system that has turned against you," Trump wrote. "I have clearly expressed my opposition both publicly and through our tariff policies," he added.

Accusation of coup against Bolsonaro

Bolsonaro is accused of attempting to overturn the results of the 2022 election, which the far-right politician lost to Lula. He faces up to 40 years in prison. Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2023, sees himself as a victim of political persecution. Prosecutors argue that Bolsonaro's coup attempt failed only because the military did not side with him.

Earlier this week, the Brazilian leadership expressed its willingness to negotiate with the United States in the tariff dispute. At the same time, it expressed its "outrage" at the threatened high tariffs in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.