Do not negotiate democracy and sovereignty

Brazilian President, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, sent an explicit message to his American counterpart, Donald Trump, in which he stressed that he would not negotiate democracy and sovereignty, as he expressed at the same time his country’s refusal to impose customs tariffs by 50% on Brazilian goods, indicating that this step is not economically justified, and carries purely political motives.

Da Silva, in a lengthy article published by the New York Times, said that his country has watched closely the economic decisions issued by the Trump administration, explaining that the imposition of customs duties is not based on a trade deficit with Brazil, as the United States has achieved a trade surplus of $ 410 billion in the past 15 years, in the fields of trade and services.

The following is the text of the article:

I decided to write this article with the aim of strengthening an explicit and transparent dialogue with the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, through my long experience in the world of politics and negotiations, whether when I was a union leader, or later when I assumed the presidency of Brazil, I realized the importance of listening to all parties, and taking various interests into consideration before making any decision.

From this standpoint, I closely and with great interest, the statements issued by the administration of President Trump, related to the imposition of customs tariffs by 50% on the Brazilian goods, and although attempts to restore American jobs and strengthen the manufacturing sector are legitimate goals, the means used to achieve these goals deserve to be scrutinized and evaluated.

Brazil has always warned of the consequences of the absolute liberal policies raised by the United States in the past decades, which were represented in what is known as the “consensus of Washington”, a package of economic policies promoting to reduce social protection, liberalize trade, and raise organizational restrictions.

Although the United States has finally started recognizing the limits of these policies, a return to the unilateral approach to dealing with commercial partners – as in the case of Brazil – is not a successful solution, but rather an irrational step that lacks the sound economic foundations.

The absence of economic justification

In fact, the customs tariff imposed on Brazil during this summer is not based on a clear commercial balance or a clear economic dispute, as the United States does not suffer a trade deficit towards Brazil, but on the contrary, it has achieved a trade surplus of $ 410 billion over the past 15 years of trade and service exchanges between our two countries, and from American exports to Brazil, about 75% of them enter without any tariff Customs, these products include oil, aircraft, natural gas, and coal.

This reality reveals the absence of the economic justification for the measures taken by the White House, which raises questions about its true motives, which – according to US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Lando said in a meeting that brought together Brazilian businessmen recently – of a purely political nature.

The most dangerous thing is that the United States government uses these recognition alongside other political tools, such as the “Magnitsky” law, an American law aimed at punishing human rights violators, as a pressure card in order to grant immunity to former Brazilian President Gayer Bolsonaro, involved in a failed coup attempt in January 2023, which was aimed at undermining the will of the people expressed through the polls.

Historical rule

I would like to express Fakhri to the historical ruling issued by the Brazilian Supreme Court, which was a decisive step in order to protect state institutions, democracy, and the rule of law. This ruling was not arbitrary or impulsive, but rather came based on the 1988 Brazilian constitution, which was approved after decades of struggle against military rule, and this step came after in -depth investigations, which revealed the assassination plans, The assassination of the vice president and the head of the Supreme Court, in addition to finding a draft resolution aimed at canceling the results of the presidential elections for the year 2022.

Accusations

In the midst of these tensions, the Trump administration accused the Brazilian judicial system of exercising control over American technology companies, which are unfounded accusations, as all digital platforms, whether foreign or local, are subject to the same laws in Brazil, and it is not acceptable to portray these laws as a tool for control, especially when the aim is to protect society from hate speech, misleading information, and electronic crimes, including harassment of children And their exploitation, which are not overlooked threats in the name of “Internet freedom”.

Likewise, the American allegations that Brazil adopts unfair commercial practices in relation to digital services and electronic payments, or that it is limited to environmental protection, not related to reality, on the contrary, the Brazilian electronic payment system «Pix» is a successful and effective model for financial inclusion, where millions of citizens have been enabled to participate in the digital economy, and provide a safe and fast way to complete transactions, without pose a threat to any party External.

Respect and cooperation

The relationship between the United States and Brazil is due to nearly two centuries, a relationship that must be built on respect and cooperation, not on the threats and unilateral measures, and in a region whose challenges increase, the ideological differences should not hinder constructive cooperation between our governments, especially when we collect common goals and strategic interests.

Mr. President, we are constantly prepared for dialogue and negotiation on any issue that benefits our two countries, but there are things that cannot be presented at the negotiating table, such as Brazil’s sovereignty and its democratic system. I have said in your speech to the United Nations General Assembly in 2017: “The strong sovereign countries allow other countries, with their different values ​​and cultures, to live and work together on the basis of mutual respect.” This is exactly what we aspire to: On respect and cooperation between two great countries, for the good of the Brazilians and the Americans together. Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silkon “New York Times”

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Amazon protection

Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said that his country witnessed, during the past two years, a 50% decrease in the rates of cutting trees in the Amazon region, after years of unjust exploitation, which was driven by the interests of influential groups.

He added that in the year 2024 alone, the Brazilian police confiscated the value of hundreds of millions of dollars that were used in environmental crimes, continuing: “However, the protection of the Amazon will not be possible if all countries are not cooperating in order to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, which threaten to convert rainforests into dry lands, which leads to the imbalance of climate patterns on a large scale, even in areas such as the West The American Middle “.