(AFP) – After trading barbs at the UN, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday hailed his “excellent chemistry” with Brazilian counterpart Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, and announced a meeting next week. Their countries have been at loggerheads for months, with Trump using sanctions and steep economic tariffs to punish Brazilian officials for the trial and conviction of his ally, the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro. But the two apparently shared a hug during an unexpected encounter between back-to-back speeches at the annual summit.
Lula was the first to address the UN General Assembly, where he slammed an “unacceptable” attack on the independence of Brazil’s judiciary, following US sanctions on a prominent Supreme Court judge and his wife. Trump also imposed a 50-percent tariff on Brazilian products that took effect last month. “There is no justification for unilateral and arbitrary measures against our institutions and our economy,” said Lula. Despite the political and economic pressure, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for his role in a botched coup bid after his 2022 election loss to Lula. “Even under unprecedented attack, Brazil chose to resist and defend its democracy,” said the veteran leftist leader.
Trump took to the stage directly after Lula, and at the end of his blistering speech, accused Brazil of “censorship, repression” and “judicial corruption.” Then, he admitted having “a little problem” with his own words because of a brief encounter with the charismatic Lula as he walked in to deliver the speech. “I saw him, he saw me, and we embraced,” he said, adding the pair had agreed to meet next week after the exchange. “He seemed like a very nice man, actually. He liked me, I liked him … we had excellent chemistry. It’s a good sign.” Trump then returned to his official line, warning that “Brazil is doing poorly …without us they will fail just as others have failed.”
If Trump and Lula meet as announced, it will be their first official meeting. Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told CNN that the meeting would have to be “by phone or videoconference” since Lula will return to Brazil on Wednesday and “has a very busy schedule.” In recent weeks, Lula has accused Trump of behaving like an “emperor.” The two men stand on polar opposite sides when it comes to issues such as multilateralism, international trade, and the fight against climate change.
In an example of the ideological divide, Lula used his speech to highlight the climate crisis, while Trump said it was “the greatest con job ever.” Lula has repeatedly stated that Brazil was “ready to negotiate” regarding tariffs, but complained of a rebuff from the US authorities. “We’re trying to negotiate, but there’s no one to talk to. No one,” he said at an official ceremony in August in Brasilia.
lb-abd-lg-fb/ksb – Leon BRUNEAU, with Louis GENOT in Rio de Janeiro
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