Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that he would not reach out to US President Donald Trump amid intensifying diplomatic tensions between the two nations over Washington's decision to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports.
"I will not call Trump because he does not want to talk," Lula said while referring to the day the tariffs were imposed as "the most regrettable" day in bilateral relations between the countries.
The Brazilian leader's reaction comes days after Trump said that Lula could "call him anytime" to discuss trade disputes.
Instead, Lula said he would speak with other world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I will call Xi Jinping, I will call Prime Minister Modi. I won't call Putin, because he can't travel now. But I will call many Presidents," Lula said as quoted by local media.
These leaders represent nations within Brics, a coalition that has drawn warnings from the US. Trump has said that countries supporting Brics policies that conflict with US interests will face an additional 10% tariff.
The United States imposed an additional 40% tariff on Brazil, bringing the total tariff amount to 50% on Brazilian imports. This has caused a serious strain between the two countries. Lula said Brazil will use all available tools, including the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to defend its trade interests.
Earlier, Trump had said Lula could "call him anytime" to talk about trade. Brazil’s finance minister, Fernando Haddad, welcomed Trump’s move and said Lula would be ready to take such a call. However, Lula has made it clear that he will not be the one to start the conversation with Trump.
The tensions are not only about trade. The United States recently condemned a decision by Brazil’s Supreme Court to place former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest before his trial on charges of plotting a coup.
The US State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs called Justice Alexandre de Moraes a "US-sanctioned human rights abuser" and accused him of using Brazil’s courts to silence opposition voices. They demanded Bolsonaro be allowed to speak freely.
Justice de Moraes, who is sanctioned by the US under the Magnitsky Act for alleged human rights violations, said he would continue his duties despite the sanctions.
Source: Reuters