President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party) stated this Thursday (24) that US President Donald Trump does not want to discuss the 50% tariff imposed on Brazilian products—which is scheduled to take effect on August 1st.
However, Lula stated that if Trump wants to negotiate, Brazil is ready to do so. The president criticized his US counterpart’s statement that the Brazilian justice system is conducting a witch hunt in the coup trial in which Bolsonaro is a defendant.
“Does he believe in witches? Does anyone here believe in witches to have a witch hunt? He sent a letter asking them to stop persecuting [Jair] Bolsonaro. A disrespectful insult to Brazil and the Brazilian justice system,” he noted.
Lula also mocked the US president’s strategy of attacking and, on some occasions, backtracking or pausing his decisions.
“But he didn’t want to talk. He gave us until August 1st. If we don’t respond by August 1st, he’ll tax our businesses by 50%. I’ll tell you something: I’m not from Minas Gerais, but I’m good at truco,” he joked.
“If Trump is ‘trucando,’ he’ll ‘take a six,'” he continued, referring to the game “truco,” in which players often bluff.
The president has stated on several occasions that Brazil would adopt the Reciprocity Law in the event of the tariff hike, but the issue is divisive.
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