New York: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has rejected the Trump administration’s 50 per cent tariffs on Brazilian products and defended the country’s democratic institutions and other policies.
Affirming Brazil’s openness to negotiate “anything that can bring mutual benefits,” Lula, in an opinion piece published in The New York Times, stressed that “Brazil’s democracy and sovereignty are not on the table.” In the article titled “Brazilian democracy and sovereignty are non-negotiable,” Lula said that while the United States has its legitimate goals, such as reindustrialisation, resorting to unilateral tariffs is “misguided” and “illogical,” Xinhua aews agency reported, citing The New York Times op-ed.
He pointed out that Washington has recorded a 410 billion US dollar surplus in goods and services trade with Brazil over the past 15 years, with nearly three-quarters of its exports entering Brazil duty-free.
He accused the US government of “using tariffs and the Magnitsky Act to seek impunity for former (Brazilian) President Jair Bolsonaro,” who was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison on Thursday for attempting a coup, arguing that the measures lack “economic rationale” and are politically motivated.
The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act allows Washington to impose sanctions, including asset freezes, credit card cancellations, and travel bans, on foreign individuals accused of human rights abuses or corruption. Addressing US accusations over digital censorship, Lula said all platforms are subject to the same laws in Brazil and that regulation aims to protect Brazilians from fraud, disinformation and hate speech. He also defended Brazil’s digital PIX instant payment system as promoting financial inclusion. (IANS)
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