BRASILIA, Brazil — President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday rejected a 50% tariff the United States imposed on Brazilian goods, calling the measure “political” and “illogical” and saying Brazil’s democracy and sovereignty were not negotiable.
In an opinion piece for The New York Times, Lula said his government was willing to negotiate measures that produce mutual benefits but would not cede on the country’s institutions. The tariff, imposed by the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump in July, came after Trump described investigations into former President Jair Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt.” The dispute has escalated after a panel of Supreme Court justices in Brasilia on Thursday ruled that Bolsonaro had attempted a coup following his 2022 electoral defeat to Lula, heightening fears of further U.S. responses.
Lula praised the Supreme Court’s ruling as a “historic decision” that protects Brazil’s institutions and the rule of law, and he rejected characterization of the court’s work as a political purge. “(The ruling) followed months of investigations that uncovered plans to assassinate me, the vice president and a Supreme Court justice,” he wrote. Lula also pointed to long-term trade figures to question the tariff’s rationale, noting a roughly $410 billion U.S. surplus in bilateral trade in goods and services over the past 15 years and calling the punishment “not only misguided but illogical.”
The op‑ed underscored that Brazil is preparing for the possibility of additional punitive measures from Washington. After the Supreme Court announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that Trump’s government “will respond accordingly.” Brazil’s Foreign Ministry described Rubio’s comments as an inappropriate threat, saying they would not intimidate the government and reaffirming that Brazil’s judiciary is independent and that Bolsonaro was afforded due process.
Bolsonaro, 70, briefly left his home in Brasilia on Sunday for a medical appointment at the DF Star hospital — his first public appearance since the court panel’s ruling. Escorted by police, he underwent procedures related to skin lesions and was discharged later the same day. Hospital officials said medical staff removed eight skin lesions that will be analyzed to establish a definitive diagnosis and determine whether further treatment is needed.
The former president has been under house arrest since early August after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said Bolsonaro had violated precautionary measures imposed during the coup trial. He has been wearing an ankle monitor. In late August, de Moraes ordered additional security measures, including inspections of vehicles leaving Bolsonaro’s residence and surveillance of the house exterior.
Under court rules, the Thursday sentence does not automatically send Bolsonaro to prison. The panel now has up to 60 days to publish its full ruling; once published, Bolsonaro’s lawyers will have five days to file motions for clarification. His legal team said it intends to seek an appeal before the full 11‑justice Supreme Court, although some legal experts say that route may be unlikely to be accepted.
Supporters and family members have reacted to the increased scrutiny. Bolsonaro’s son, Carlos, posted on X that the heightened policing around his father’s hospital visit amounted to public humiliation and excessive force. Die‑hard supporters gathered outside the hospital and chanted “Amnesty now!” referring to efforts by some of Bolsonaro’s allies in Congress to obtain legal protections for the former president.
The dispute between Brasília and Washington adds a new layer of tension to longstanding economic and political ties. Lula’s public rebuttal and the Brazilian government’s diplomatic responses signal that the administration plans to defend its institutions while remaining open to negotiated outcomes on trade and other issues. The coming weeks will determine whether the U.S. will pursue further measures and how Brazil’s judiciary and legislature handle the legal and political fallout from the Supreme Court panel’s decision.