RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday not to meddle in Brazil’s October presidential election after Trump made his latest criticism of Brazil over judicial moves against Lula’s political rivals.
The remarks show the escalating tensions between Brazil and the U.S. after the Trump administration proposed further tariffs against the South American country and recently classified two drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations – moves that Lula opposes.
Lula has frequently defended Brazil’s sovereignty since Trump imposed tariffs on the country last year citing a “witch-hunt trial” against his ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Lula also has complained about U.S. sanctions imposed on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over what the Trump administration called his politically motivated role in prosecuting Bolsonaro, who was convicted of attempting a coup to try to stay in power after losing the 2022 election to Lula.
Trump said Wednesday that Brazil had become “dangerous politically” and that the government wanted to arrest “Bolsonaro junior,” who was “doing well in the polls.”
Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday convicted one of Bolsonaro’s sons, former lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, of coercion related to his father’s coup trial and sentenced him to four years and two months in prison.
However the reference to doing well in the polls suggested Trump may have been talking about – or was also talking about – Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, who is running against Lula in the presidential election. Flávio Bolsonaro has not faced arrest.
PHOTOS: Brazil’s Lula warns Trump not to meddle in Brazil’s elections
Eduardo Bolsonaro was convicted after the court found that he illegally interfered in his father’s coup trial by lobbying the U.S. government to threaten Brazilian officials to stop the trial.
A journalist read out Trump’s remarks to Lula during a news conference following the G7 summit of world leaders in France’s Evian-les-Bains, which Lula attended. The Brazilian leader said they demonstrated that Trump “doesn’t know Brazil well.”
“If he knows Brazil through his relations with the Bolsonaro family, he doesn’t know Brazil,” Lula said. “He can go on liking Bolsonaro – the father, the son, the grandson – that’s not my problem, it’s his. (…) But don’t interfere in Brazil’s elections, because Brazil’s elections are Brazil’s business.”
Eduardo and Flávio Bolsonaro recently visited U.S. officials in Washington, including Trump. Shortly afterwards, the Trump administration classified Brazil’s biggest drug-trafficking groups – First Command Capital and Red Command – as foreign terrorist organizations. Lula criticized that decision Wednesday, arguing that while the groups terrorize local populations they are not terrorist organizations because they seek profit rather than political change.
The U.S. government also had proposed a new 25% tariff on imports from Brazil, claiming the world’s 10th-biggest economy engages in unreasonable trade practices. That move came despite a trip by Lula to Washington to try to persuade Trump not to apply further tariffs.
Lula has expressed his grievance over that tariff, and did so again on Wednesday. “I think what he did was disrespectful toward Brazil. He knows that. That’s why I said he still behaves like an emperor. We were negotiating an agreement.”
