Latest news with #Tropics
Roya News
5 days ago
- Business
- Roya News
Why is Trump lashing out at Brazil?
US President Donald Trump has announced a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports as he accused the country's leftist leadership of orchestrating a "witch hunt" against his right-wing ally, former leader Jair Bolsonaro. In a letter Wednesday to counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Trump insisted that Bolsonaro's trial -- for allegedly plotting a coup to hold on to power after 2022 elections he lost -- "should not be taking place." Trump has historically reserved his tariff ire for countries with which the United States runs a negative trade balance. Brazil is not one. Analysts say ideological considerations, not economics, are behind the US president's actions in defense of Bolsonaro, dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics." Firm friends "Brazil came up on Trump's radar now because Bolsonaro's trial is advancing and there are Republican lawmakers who brought the issue to the White House," Leonardo Paz, a political scientist at Brazil's Getulio Vargas Foundation, told AFP. Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former president's son and a Brazilian congressman, recently moved to the United States where he lobbies for pressure on Brasilia and the judges presiding over his father's coup trial. Lula blames Bolsonaro's son for troubling the bilateral waters, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered an investigation into whether the US-based campaign constitutes obstruction of justice. Moraes is an arch foe of Bolsonaro, who has labeled the justice a "dictator." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke in May of a "great possibility" of sanctions against Moraes, who has clashed repeatedly with rightwingers and former Trump ally Elon Musk in a quest to stamp out online disinformation. Bolsonaro calls Trump a "friend" and says they are both victims of "persecution." 'Non-economic reasons' In his missive to Lula, Trump complained of "a very unfair trade relationship" with Brazil. But official Brazilian figures show a near two-decade sustained surplus in favor of the United States. Last year, it was almost $284 million. The United States is Brazil's third-largest trading partner after China and the European Union. It imports mainly crude oil and semi-finished iron and steel products from the South American powerhouse. Brazil in turn primarily imports non-electric engines and machines, and fuel from up north. In a sign of Brazilian business jitters, the Sao Paulo Federation of Industries called Thursday for a "calm" response to the "non-economic reasons" for Trump's tariffs. Lula has said Brazil would be willing to reciprocate, in spite of Trump's warning of further escalation if it did so. Free speech tussle Trump also complained of Brazilian "attacks" on free speech and "hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL censorship orders to US media platforms" issued by Brazil's Supreme Court. Last month, the court toughened social media regulation, upping the accountability of platforms for user content in a groundbreaking case for Latin America on the spread of fake news and hate speech. Last year, Moraes blocked Musk's X platform for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation. He had also ordered the suspension in Brazil of Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular with conservative and far-right voices -- including Trump's son Don Jr. -- over its refusal to block a user accused of spreading disinformation. Detractors accuse the judge of running a campaign to stifle free speech. BRICS brawl "It didn't help that the BRICS summit was held in Brazil at a time a narrative exists in the United States portraying the bloc as anti-Western," said Paz. Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the group on Sunday spoke out against Trump's "indiscriminate" tariff hikes, prompting the president to threaten further trade penalties. Members China, Russia and India refrained from hitting back, but Lula took it upon himself to defend the "sovereign" nature of BRICS governments, insisting: "We don't want an emperor." Behind the scenes, Brasilia has been negotiating with Washington for months to try and avoid the worst of Trump's tariff war. A member of Lula's entourage told AFP that Trump's attack on Brazil was partly inspired by "discomfort caused by the strength of the BRICS," whose members account for about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
In latest tariff showdown in Latin America, Trump is clearly being manipulated
President Donald Trump's letter to the president of Latin America's largest country threatening it with tariffs reads more like an angry venting exercise than sound trade policy. In announcing Wednesday he plans to impose 50% tariffs on 'any and all Brazilian products sent into the United States' starting Aug. 1, Trump points, in part, to the prosecution of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro as a reason. Bolsonaro was indicted last year on grounds he attempted a coup after losing the presidential election three years ago, making him and Brazil a pariah. 'The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World... is an international disgrace,' Trump wrote. I'm Brazilian-American, so I'm a little more vested in this issue than most, but Americans should question the absurdity of the president using tariffs, which greatly impact American consumers and businesses, to defend Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro's situation has parallels to Trump's. Like Trump, Bolsonaro tried to steal the presidential election he lost to leftist Luiz Inacio 'Lula' da Silva in 2022. Bolsonaro spread conspiracies about voting fraud that led his supporters to storm and vandalize Brazil's presidential palace, the Supreme Court and Congress on Jan. 8, 2023. Sound familiar? Bolsonaro could spend decades in prison if he's found guilty of charges related to an alleged plot to overthrow the government after his electoral loss and assassinate political rivals. For Trump, that appears to have been the last straw: 'This Trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!' Trump wrote in the letter. Lula has vowed to retaliate and a battle with the American president might help him resuscitate his dismal approval rating. Why would Trump bother about the fate of Bolsonaro, the so-called 'Trump of the Tropics,' to the point that he would put America's trade policy and partnerships on the line? Brazil, a U.S. ally, is a big exporter of steel, coffee and oil with $40 billion worth of goods sold to the U.S. last year, the Washington Post reported. With his upcoming trial, Bolsonaro, a proxy for Trump in Latin America, is facing bigger consequences for his attempt to subvert Brazilian democracy than Trump did for egging on his supporters to invade the U.S. Capitol. For Trump, it pays off to convince people that what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, and two years later in Brazil, was not a threat to democracy and that the true injustice was the role the judiciary played afterwards to prosecute those involved. It's no wonder Trump pardoned J6 rioters soon after he took office in January. The point is to paint extremists who desecrated symbols of democracy here and abroad as victims of an international conspiracy. The Bolsonaro family has also spent significant effort to convince Republicans that the Bolsonaros are martyrs for the conservative cause. Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of the former Brazilian president, said in March he would seek asylum in the U.S. and step back from his role a federal lawmaker just as Brazil's Supreme Court was weighing whether to seize his passport over accusations that he tried to interfere in his father's criminal case, the New York Times reported. He also was a featured speaker at the first Latino Conservative Political Action Conference at the Hard Rock Casino Hotel and Casino in Hollywood last month. The younger Bolsonaro is also reportedly close to the Trump family and has visited Mar-a-Lago. The American right — so used to looking at Latin American politics through the lens of the fight against socialist dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela — fell for the Bolsonaros' tale of martyrdom. (Brazil has been a democracy since the 1980s, following the end of a 20-year right-wing military dictatorship). In his letter, Trump also accused Brazil of targeting U.S. social media companies. The courts there have ordered the suspension of accounts and platforms that authorities say violate Brazilian law for failing to block users accused of spreading misinformation. Trump's media company has sued Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes in Florida federal court, accusing him of censorship. Trump also wrote Brazil's trade practices have resulted in a relationship that is 'far from Reciprocal.' That's a surprise to many given that the U.S. has had a trade surplus — an obsession of Trump's — with the South American country every year since 2008, the Washington Post reported. This is proof of Trump's scattershot approach to his tariff war. In Brazil's case, Americans must wonder how basing trade policy on the defense of a former president under indictment helps the U.S. Click here to send the letter.
Sinar Daily
5 days ago
- Business
- Sinar Daily
Why is Trump lashing out at Brazil?
SAO PAULO - US President Donald Trump has announced a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports as he accused the country's leftist leadership of orchestrating a "witch hunt" against his right-wing ally, former leader Jair Bolsonaro. In a letter Wednesday to counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Trump insisted that Bolsonaro's trial -- for allegedly plotting a coup to hold on to power after 2022 elections he lost -- "should not be taking place." Trump has historically reserved his tariff ire for countries with which the United States runs a negative trade balance. Brazil is not one. Analysts say ideological considerations, not economics, are behind the US president's actions in defense of Bolsonaro, dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics." - Firm friends - "Brazil came up on Trump's radar now because Bolsonaro's trial is advancing and there are Republican lawmakers who brought the issue to the White House," Leonardo Paz, a political scientist at Brazil's Getulio Vargas Foundation, told AFP. Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former president's son and a Brazilian congressman, recently moved to the United States where he lobbies for pressure on Brasilia and the judges presiding over his father's coup trial. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) and US President Donald Trump. AFP FILE PIX Lula blames Bolsonaro's son for troubling the bilateral waters, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered an investigation into whether the US-based campaign constitutes obstruction of justice. Moraes is an arch foe of Bolsonaro, who has labeled the justice a "dictator." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke in May of a "great possibility" of sanctions against Moraes, who has clashed repeatedly with rightwingers and former Trump ally Elon Musk in a quest to stamp out online disinformation. Bolsonaro calls Trump a "friend" and says they are both victims of "persecution." - 'Non-economic reasons' - In his missive to Lula, Trump complained of "a very unfair trade relationship" with Brazil. But official Brazilian figures show a near two-decade sustained surplus in favor of the United States. Last year, it was almost $284 million. The United States is Brazil's third-largest trading partner after China and the European Union. It imports mainly crude oil and semi-finished iron and steel products from the South American powerhouse. Brazil in turn primarily imports non-electric engines and machines, and fuel from up north. In a sign of Brazilian business jitters, the Sao Paulo Federation of Industries called Thursday for a "calm" response to the "non-economic reasons" for Trump's tariffs. Lula has said Brazil would be willing to reciprocate, in spite of Trump's warning of further escalation if it did so. - Free speech tussle - Trump also complained of Brazilian "attacks" on free speech and "hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL censorship orders to US media platforms" issued by Brazil's Supreme Court. Last month, the court toughened social media regulation, upping the accountability of platforms for user content in a groundbreaking case for Latin America on the spread of fake news and hate speech. Last year, Moraes blocked Musk's X platform for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation. He had also ordered the suspension in Brazil of Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular with conservative and far-right voices -- including Trump's son Don Jr. -- over its refusal to block a user accused of spreading disinformation. Detractors accuse the judge of running a campaign to stifle free speech. - BRICS brawl - "It didn't help that the BRICS summit was held in Brazil at a time a narrative exists in the United States portraying the bloc as anti-Western," said Paz. Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the group on Sunday spoke out against Trump's "indiscriminate" tariff hikes, prompting the president to threaten further trade penalties. Members China, Russia and India refrained from hitting back, but Lula took it upon himself to defend the "sovereign" nature of BRICS governments, insisting: "We don't want an emperor." Behind the scenes, Brasilia has been negotiating with Washington for months to try and avoid the worst of Trump's tariff war. A member of Lula's entourage told AFP that Trump's attack on Brazil was partly inspired by "discomfort caused by the strength of the BRICS," whose members account for about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output. - AFP
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Why is Trump lashing out at Brazil?
US President Donald Trump has announced a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports as he accused the country's leftist leadership of orchestrating a "witch hunt" against his right-wing ally, former leader Jair Bolsonaro. In a letter Wednesday to counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Trump insisted that Bolsonaro's trial – for allegedly plotting a coup to hold on to power after 2022 elections he lost – "should not be taking place." Trump has historically reserved his tariff ire for countries with which the United States runs a negative trade balance. Brazil is not one. Analysts say ideological considerations, not economics, are behind the US president's actions in defense of Bolsonaro, dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics." "Brazil came up on Trump's radar now because Bolsonaro's trial is advancing and there are Republican lawmakers who brought the issue to the White House," Leonardo Paz, a political scientist at Brazil's Getulio Vargas Foundation, told AFP. Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former president's son and a Brazilian congressman, recently moved to the United States where he lobbies for pressure on Brasilia and the judges presiding over his father's coup trial. Lula blames Bolsonaro's son for troubling the bilateral waters, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered an investigation into whether the US-based campaign constitutes obstruction of justice. Moraes is an arch foe of Bolsonaro, who has labeled the justice a "dictator." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke in May of a "great possibility" of sanctions against Moraes, who has clashed repeatedly with rightwingers and former Trump ally Elon Musk in a quest to stamp out online disinformation. Bolsonaro calls Trump a "friend" and says they are both victims of "persecution." In his missive to Lula, Trump complained of "a very unfair trade relationship" with Brazil. But official Brazilian figures show a near two-decade sustained surplus in favor of the United States. Last year, it was almost $284 million. The United States is Brazil's third-largest trading partner after China and the European Union. It imports mainly crude oil and semi-finished iron and steel products from the South American powerhouse. Brazil in turn primarily imports non-electric engines and machines, and fuel from up north. In a sign of Brazilian business jitters, the Sao Paulo Federation of Industries called Thursday for a "calm" response to the "non-economic reasons" for Trump's tariffs. Lula has said Brazil would be willing to reciprocate, in spite of Trump's warning of further escalation if it did so. Trump also complained of Brazilian "attacks" on free speech and "hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL censorship orders to US media platforms" issued by Brazil's Supreme Court. Last month, the court toughened social media regulation, upping the accountability of platforms for user content in a groundbreaking case for Latin America on the spread of fake news and hate speech. Last year, Moraes blocked Musk's X platform for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation. He had also ordered the suspension in Brazil of Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular with conservative and far-right voices – including Trump's son Don Jr. – over its refusal to block a user accused of spreading disinformation. Detractors accuse the judge of running a campaign to stifle free speech. "It didn't help that the BRICS summit was held in Brazil at a time a narrative exists in the United States portraying the bloc as anti-Western," said Paz. Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the group on Sunday spoke out against Trump's "indiscriminate" tariff hikes, prompting the president to threaten further trade penalties. Members China, Russia and India refrained from hitting back, but Lula took it upon himself to defend the "sovereign" nature of BRICS governments, insisting: "We don't want an emperor." Behind the scenes, Brasilia has been negotiating with Washington for months to try and avoid the worst of Trump's tariff war. A member of Lula's entourage told AFP that Trump's attack on Brazil was partly inspired by "discomfort caused by the strength of the BRICS," whose members account for about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output.
Int'l Business Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Why Is Trump Lashing Out At Brazil?
US President Donald Trump has announced a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports as he accused the country's leftist leadership of orchestrating a "witch hunt" against his right-wing ally, former leader Jair Bolsonaro. In a letter Wednesday to counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Trump insisted that Bolsonaro's trial -- for allegedly plotting a coup to hold on to power after 2022 elections he lost -- "should not be taking place." Trump has historically reserved his tariff ire for countries with which the United States runs a negative trade balance. Brazil is not one. Analysts say ideological considerations, not economics, are behind the US president's actions in defense of Bolsonaro, dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics." "Brazil came up on Trump's radar now because Bolsonaro's trial is advancing and there are Republican lawmakers who brought the issue to the White House," Leonardo Paz, a political scientist at Brazil's Getulio Vargas Foundation, told AFP. Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former president's son and a Brazilian congressman, recently moved to the United States where he lobbies for pressure on Brasilia and the judges presiding over his father's coup trial. Lula blames Bolsonaro's son for troubling the bilateral waters, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered an investigation into whether the US-based campaign constitutes obstruction of justice. Moraes is an arch foe of Bolsonaro, who has labeled the justice a "dictator." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke in May of a "great possibility" of sanctions against Moraes, who has clashed repeatedly with rightwingers and former Trump ally Elon Musk in a quest to stamp out online disinformation. Bolsonaro calls Trump a "friend" and says they are both victims of "persecution." In his missive to Lula, Trump complained of "a very unfair trade relationship" with Brazil. But official Brazilian figures show a near two-decade sustained surplus in favor of the United States. Last year, it was almost $284 million. The United States is Brazil's third-largest trading partner after China and the European Union. It imports mainly crude oil and semi-finished iron and steel products from the South American powerhouse. Brazil in turn primarily imports non-electric engines and machines, and fuel from up north. In a sign of Brazilian business jitters, the Sao Paulo Federation of Industries called Thursday for a "calm" response to the "non-economic reasons" for Trump's tariffs. Lula has said Brazil would be willing to reciprocate, in spite of Trump's warning of further escalation if it did so. Trump also complained of Brazilian "attacks" on free speech and "hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL censorship orders to US media platforms" issued by Brazil's Supreme Court. Last month, the court toughened social media regulation, upping the accountability of platforms for user content in a groundbreaking case for Latin America on the spread of fake news and hate speech. Last year, Moraes blocked Musk's X platform for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation. He had also ordered the suspension in Brazil of Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular with conservative and far-right voices -- including Trump's son Don Jr. -- over its refusal to block a user accused of spreading disinformation. Detractors accuse the judge of running a campaign to stifle free speech. "It didn't help that the BRICS summit was held in Brazil at a time a narrative exists in the United States portraying the bloc as anti-Western," said Paz. Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the group on Sunday spoke out against Trump's "indiscriminate" tariff hikes, prompting the president to threaten further trade penalties. Members China, Russia and India refrained from hitting back, but Lula took it upon himself to defend the "sovereign" nature of BRICS governments, insisting: "We don't want an emperor." Behind the scenes, Brasilia has been negotiating with Washington for months to try and avoid the worst of Trump's tariff war. A member of Lula's entourage told AFP that Trump's attack on Brazil was partly inspired by "discomfort caused by the strength of the BRICS," whose members account for about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output.
