Protesters gathered on the streets of Brazil to denounce United States President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs imposed on the country’s exports. The demonstrations erupted in cities like Sao Paulo and Brasilia, as residents voiced their anger on the first day of Trump’s latest tariff campaign. Brazil is slated to see some of the highest US tariffs in the world, with a 50% import tax on Brazilian products.
The tariffs were announced by Trump in response to the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right ally. Bolsonaro faces trial for allegedly attempting to orchestrate a coup d’etat against his successor, current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Trump drew a line from his tariff hike to Brazil’s treatment of Bolsonaro, alleging that the prosecution was politically motivated. “The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace,” Trump wrote. “This trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”
The protests in Brazil were marked by demonstrators burning effigies of Trump and Bolsonaro, as well as signs bearing the US flag. Placards waved, featuring Trump with devil horns protruding from his forehead and cartoons of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes flicking Trump his middle finger. A banner featured the slogan: “Sovereignty is not negotiable.” Brazilian flags abounded on signs and T-shirts.
De Moraes himself issued a statement, saying Trump’s sanctions would not interfere with his duties. “This rapporteur will ignore the sanctions applied to him and continue working as he has been doing.” The protests were a show of solidarity with Bolsonaro and a rebuke to Trump’s interference in Brazil’s judicial process.
The tariff hike and sanctions against de Moraes have been seen as a pressure campaign to force Brazilian prosecutors to drop the case against Bolsonaro. Critics have accused Trump of seeking to interfere with Brazil’s judicial process. Some have described the tariff hike and the sanctions against de Moraes as a pressure campaign to force Brazilian prosecutors to drop the case against Bolsonaro.
The diplomatic tensions between the US and Brazil have been escalating, with Trump’s tariffs sparking concerns about the impact on Brazilian industries. The tariffs could devastate Brazil’s small-scale coffee producers, who produce two-thirds of the country’s coffee output. Experts warn that the US tariff will hurt Brazil’s family farmers, who are already struggling to compete with larger producers.
The tariffs imposed by Trump have sparked concerns about the impact on global trade and diplomacy. The US has imposed tariffs on several countries, including Brazil, China, and Switzerland, sparking retaliatory measures and concerns about a trade war. The global economy is already under strain, and the tariffs could exacerbate the situation.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the US and Brazil will navigate the diplomatic tensions and trade disputes. One thing is certain, however: the tariffs imposed by Trump will have far-reaching consequences for global trade and diplomacy.