When egos collide: tariffs, sovereignty and a lot of theater
Ah, diplomacy. That fine art where world leaders exchange forced smiles while stabbing each other in the back. Today, the show stars Lula and Trump, two heavyweights of populist rhetoric who, surprise, do not agree. The prize? A 50% tariff war that promises to leave more people hurt than a season of Game of Thrones.
“Don’t call me names”: Lula defends his patio
The Brazilian president, wearing his best “indignant sovereign” pose, today dropped pearls such as that Brazil “will not accept being tutored.” Of course, because when Trump announces 50% tariffs on Brazilian products, he obviously does so out of pure love for tutelage. Lula, in a burst of legal creativity, threatened to apply the Economic Reciprocity Law (translation: “an eye for an eye, dollar for dollar”). The result? A geopolitical pulse that seems more like a reality show than a commercial negotiation.
And here comes the best: Trump, in his subtle style like an elephant in a china shop, warned that any increase in tariffs by Brazil will be added to the already generous initial 50%. “Tax it, but I’ll raise more,” he basically said. Negotiation or auction? Who knows. The truth is that both seem to believe that the global economy is a game of Monopoly where whoever shouts the loudest wins the hotel on Boardwalk.
The backdrop: Bolsonaro, the “witch hunt” and social networks
Behind this comedy of errors is the eternal ghost of Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president that Trump defends with the fervor of a Marvel fan discussing comics. The US Embassy called it “shameful persecution“, because nothing says “respect for sovereignty” like giving an opinion on other people’s judicial processes. Lula, for his part, recalled that in Brazil freedom of expression does not include “hate content or child pornography.” A detail that, apparently, for some is negotiable.
Meanwhile, social networks remain in the eye of the hurricane. Trump accuses them of censorship; Lula insists that they comply with local law. Who is right? Probably no one, but that won’t stop this from escalating until someone threatens to shut down TikTok. Again.
Now what? Well prepare for more grandiloquent statements, veiled threats and maybe, just maybe, a tweet from Trump calling Lula “weak.” Because in the circus of international politics, the show must go on.
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