Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil 

By Brasil 247 – Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday described the latest US tariffs against Brazil as unacceptable and said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has shown a hostile attitude toward Latin America. The remarks were made during the opening of a ministerial meeting. According to Brasil 247, Lula said Brazil is experiencing a period of democratic strengthening, support for multilateralism and social progress, but again criticized the treatment the country received from the United States. He said Brazil is a major nation with a long history and cannot accept the treatment it received from Washington this week.

Lula stated that Brazil has never refused to negotiate with the United States and criticized the way he learned about the first tariff measure announced by US President Donald Trump. According to the Brazilian president, the measure was first communicated through a social media post rather than through formal diplomatic channels. He said no one could claim that Brazil had refused negotiations with the United States. Lula argued that the initial announcement through social media was contrary to the standards of democracy and civility, which would require direct communication between heads of state or an official letter.

The Brazilian president also challenged the economic justification presented by Washington. He argued that the claim of a US trade deficit with Brazil does not correspond to reality, saying that Brazil, rather than the United States, is the country facing a trade deficit in the bilateral relationship. Lula said his government avoided inflammatory rhetoric and instead sought to build a response based on arguments. He cited opinion articles published in major US newspapers that, according to him, highlighted what he described as the irrationality of punishing Brazil through tariffs.

His strongest criticism was directed at Rubio. Lula said he had previously told Trump that the secretary of state did not appear sympathetic toward Latin America. He described Rubio as a “frustrated Latin American” and said he does not like Latin America and even less so Brazil. The president also referred to comments allegedly made by Rubio in the US Senate and said he hoped the Brazilian Senate would respond. According to Lula, Rubio expressed satisfaction with closer relations between the United States and Latin American countries, with the exception of Brazil, Nicaragua, Cuba and Colombia.

Lula further said Brazil is aware of the historical role played by the United States during key moments in Brazilian politics. Referring to the 1964 military coup, he stated that the country knows it was the victim of a coup allegedly coordinated by American ambassadors in Brazil. Despite the criticism, Lula said Brazil is not seeking conflict with the United States and instead wants a relationship based on institutional respect. He emphasized that Brazil seeks to strengthen a bilateral relationship that has lasted for 201 years.

Lula also revealed that during a previous meeting with Trump he delivered four documents outlining issues Brazil wanted to discuss with the US government. The topics included combating drug trafficking, trade, uranium enrichment, rare earths and critical minerals. According to Lula, the meeting with Trump lasted three hours. He said he proposed a 30-day period during which ministers from both countries could seek an understanding on trade matters. He added that both sides should be willing to reconsider their positions if proven wrong.

The Brazilian president said he left the meeting convinced that Brazil and the United States were establishing a new framework for bilateral relations. He said the latest tariff measures came as a surprise to the Brazilian government.