BRASÍLIA: Brazilians set fire to effigies of Donald Trump in protests across several cities Friday, denouncing the US president’s politically motivated trade tariffs. Anti-Trump demonstrations were held in Brasília, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, signaling worsening relations between two of the Americas’ largest economies.
The protests, though modest in attendance, reflected widespread anger over Trump’s decision to impose a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian exports and sanction Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The US president openly admitted the measures were retaliation for Brazil’s prosecution of his political ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro, a far-right leader, is currently on trial for allegedly plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. His supporters stormed Brazil’s Congress in January 2023, echoing the US Capitol attack by Trump supporters two years earlier. A Brazilian general testified that the alleged conspirators also planned to assassinate leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other officials.
Trump dismissed the trial as a “witch hunt” and sanctioned Moraes, who has been a vocal critic of Bolsonaro and tech billionaire Elon Musk over online disinformation. The US Treasury Department also froze Moraes’ assets and imposed a travel ban.
Moraes, presiding over Bolsonaro’s coup trial, vowed to remain firm. “This Court, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Federal Police will not bow to these threats,“ he said in a rare public statement. He emphasized Brazil’s commitment to democracy and national sovereignty.
The 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods is set to take effect on August 6. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro faces strict conditions, including an electronic ankle monitor, a nighttime curfew, and a social media ban pending his trial, where he could receive a 40-year sentence.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Moraes of human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions and suppression of free speech. The escalating dispute highlights deepening political and economic tensions between the US and Brazil. - AFP
