In an interview with the British newspaper Financial Times, Celso Amorim, special advisor to international affairs of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, signaled that Brazil will reinforce its commitment to the BRICS block, which challenges the threats of US President Donald Trump to impose punitive tariffs.
Trump criticized Brazil twice this month. While the country hosted a summit of the 11 BRICS members, Trump then said that the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, accused of planning a blow, was closed immediately.
For Celso Amorim, the main foreign advisor of leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, told the finance Times that these attacks “are reinforcing our relations with the BRICS, because we want to have diverse relations and not depend on any country.”
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In addition to the BRICS – which include China, Russia and India – Amorim said Brazil would seek to strengthen relations with other countries in Europe, South America and Asia.
The 50% rate is among the highest mentioned by the US President in its current round of negotiations, although Brazil has a commercial deficit with the US in products – unlike many other target countries. Trump also harshly criticized the Lula administration for what he called attacks on freedom of expression, a “ridiculous” regime of censorship “, and very unfair trade practices.
Amorim said Trump’s interference in Brazil’s internal affairs was not seen “not even in colonial time.” “I don’t think even the Soviet Union would have done something like that,” he said, adding that Trump was trying to act politically inside [do Brasil] in favor of your friend ”.
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Although China is the largest commercial partner in the country, importing US $ 94 billion, especially in agricultural and mineral products, in Brazil last year, Amorim said that “it is not our intention” that Beijing is the clear winner of Trump’s highest tariffs.
Amorim denied that BRICS is ideological. In addition, the advisor also asked the European Union (EU) to quickly ratify the commercial treaty with Mercosur, arguing that this would bring economic and geopolitical gains, also citing Canada’s interest in establishing agreements with Brazil.
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Remembering the diplomatic maxim that “countries have no friends, just interests,” Amorim said Trump was an unusual case because he “had no friends or interests, just desires.” The US President’s approach is “an illustration of absolute power,” he said.
