Lula says there is no reason for tariffs and criticizes Flávio Bolsonaro, who asked for the tax to be postponed until after the elections

Amid the escalation of the crisis involving the 25% surcharge announced by the United States on Brazilian products, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) harshly criticized the Bolsonaro family and classified the group’s actions with the US government as “surrender”.

In a post on social media this Wednesday (2), Lula stated that it was “unacceptable” for members of former president Jair Bolsonaro’s family to try to submit Brazil’s interests to those of the United States. The demonstration occurs after the senator and pre-candidate for Planalto, Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), sent a new document to the United States authorities, asking that the tariff be postponed until after the 2026 elections.

“The most absurd thing is knowing that the origin of all this was motivated by the Bolsonaro family itself, which publicly defended the increase in tariffs against Brazilian products,” wrote the president.

Lula also rejected the request that the tariffs be postponed, stating that there is no justification for the measure “now or later”. For the president, the initiative represents “another attitude of traitors to the country”.

In the publication, the head of the Executive also criticized statements attributed to the Bolsonarist camp in defense of the end of Mercosur. According to Lula, weakening the bloc represents an attack on national interests, especially after the conclusion of the trade agreement with the European Union.

The president also came out in defense of Pix, stating that the system is a national achievement and criticizing what he classified as an attempt to hand over the payment mechanism to foreign interests.

“Our Homeland is not for sale. Our sovereignty is non-negotiable. Brazil belongs to Brazilians”, said the head of the National Executive.

Letter from Flávio

The president’s demonstration comes after senator Flávio Bolsonaro sent a new letter to the United States government, asking for the suspension of the 25% tariff on Brazilian products. In the document, the parliamentarian states that the measure was motivated by a deterioration in diplomatic relations between the two countries during the Lula government and requests that the surcharge be postponed until after the 2026 presidential elections, when, according to him, Brazil could resume an agenda aligned with Washington.

In the letter, Flávio also maintains that the immediate adoption of tariffs would harm Brazilian and American productive sectors and argues that a possible return of the extreme right to the Palácio do Planalto would pave the way for a rapprochement between the two countries. The senator also defends the deepening of the economic and commercial partnership with the United States and criticizes the Lula government’s foreign policy, attributing to the current government the worsening of diplomatic tensions that culminated in the announcement of the tariff.

See Lula’s post in full