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巴西總統盧拿狠狠打臉川普 ---- Chad de Guzman
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請參見此《小評》(該欄2025/07/10)。
Brazil’s Lula Squares Up to Trump After Tariff Hike and Bolsonaro Defense
Chad de Guzman, 07/10/25
Donald Trump has often likened efforts to hold him accountable by the media, Democrats, investigators, courts, and others, to a “witch hunt.” But recently he’s begun also using the phrase to defend his foreign buddies.
From Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose corruption trial Trump has urged the end of, to most recently former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whose affinity for and similarities to the U.S. President have earned him the nickname “Trump of the Tropics,” Trump has tried to wield the influence of the U.S. government to keep his friends from facing charges in their own countries.
While Trump has begun issuing “letters” on social media to foreign leaders announcing new tariff rates, he deviated from the script used for other nations so far when he posted a letter to current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Truth Social on Wednesday.
“I knew and dealt with former President Jair Bolsonaro, and respected him greatly, as did most other Leaders of Countries,” Trump wrote. “The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace. This Trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”
Bolsonaro is currently facing charges related to an alleged coup attempt after he lost Brazil’s 2022 election to Lula, which even involved a storming of the Brazilian capital that drew comparisons at the time to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in the U.S. by Trump supporters after Trump lost his first reelection campaign.
Trump had already posted earlier this month: “Brazil is doing a terrible thing on their treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro. I have watched, as has the World, as they have done nothing but come after him, day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year! He is not guilty of anything, except having fought for THE PEOPLE. I have gotten to know Jair Bolsonaro, and he was a strong Leader, who truly loved his Country — Also, a very tough negotiator on TRADE. His Election was very close and now, he is leading in the Polls. This is nothing more, or less, than an attack on a Political Opponent — Something I know much about! It happened to me, times 10, and now our Country is the ‘HOTTEST’ in the World! The Great People of Brazil will not stand for what they are doing to their former President. I’ll be watching the WITCH HUNT of Jair Bolsonaro, his family, and thousands of his supporters, very closely. The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil — It’s called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!”
In his letter Wednesday to Lula, Trump also referenced “insidious attacks on Free Elections” (Brazil’s next general election is in 2026, and Bolsonaro has been deemed ineligible) as well as “Censorship” by Brazil’s Supreme Court against U.S. social media companies (the country at one point banned Elon Musk’s X platform before restoring it after a $5 million fine).
Trump announced that the tariff rate on Brazil, which was initially set at 10% in April, would be raised to 50% as a result of these issues, as well as to “rectify the grave injustices of the current regime” and make the U.S.-Brazil trade relationship more “Reciprocal,” despite the U.S. in fact running a trade surplus with Brazil.
Trump also announced on Sunday a 10% additional tariff on countries that align themselves with the “anti-American” policies of the BRICS group, of which Brazil is a founding member.
In a post on X, Lula forcefully rebuked Trump’s message, writing: “Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage.”
The Brazilian leader asserted that Brazil’s judicial proceedings “are not subject to any interference or threats that could compromise the independence of national institutions,” that “freedom of expression must not be confused with aggression or violent practices” and all companies “whether domestic or foreign—must comply with Brazilian law in order to operate within our territory,” and that “tariff increases will be addressed in accordance with Brazil's Economic Reciprocity Law,” which states that Brazil can suspend concessions with other countries in trade, investments, and obligations if unilateral measures imposed on Brazil harm its economic competitiveness.
According to CNN: “This marks the first time in months another country has threatened to match Trump’s tariff threat.”
“Sovereignty, respect and the unwavering defense of the interests of the Brazilian people are the values that guide our relationship with the world,” Lula concluded.
Lula’s post—which comes just a few days after he said at the BRICS forum on Monday, “The world has changed. We don’t want an emperor. … People need to understand that respect is good—we like to give it, and we like to get it in return”—sets the stage for further confrontation with Trump, who has rarely been challenged in such stark terms by a foreign leader of an ostensibly friendly nation.
Contact us at letters@time.com.
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巴西總統大選盧拿獲勝連任 -- ELÉONORE HUGHES等
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Lula is declared winner of Brazil's election as Bolsonaro rejects results
ELÉONORE HUGHES/MAURICIO SAVARESE/ANNA-CATHERINE BRIGIDA, 10/26/26
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, was reelected Sunday in a result that provides relief to critics of widening U.S. influence in Latin America.
With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil's electoral court announced that the soon to be 81-year-old Lula had a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes over opponent Flávio Bolsonaro, giving him 51.8% of the total vote. Bolsonaro quickly refused to concede defeat and asked for the election results to be annulled after an evening of chaos at some polling places that followed a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours.
Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated to take the presidency in 2022.
Lula's triumph bucks a regional trend of victories for right-of-center presidential candidates allied with Trump. It also means Latin America's largest economy, with a GDP of $2.6 trillion per year, will likely continue defying Trump's demands, despite the pressure of increased tariffs.
Lula says Brazil is 'not anyone's backyard'
A video published by Lula's campaign shows the veteran leader celebrating with First Lady Rosângela da Silva and allies after his runoff victory was confirmed by Brazil's electoral court. Wearing star-shaped red glasses, he kissed his wife.
Speaking to his supporters, thousands of whom gathered on Sao Paulo's main artery and in Rio de Janeiro's Cinelandia Square, Lula expressed his gratitude to the Brazilian people, and pledged to respect all Brazilians, regardless of gender or religion. He also attacked Bolsonaro.
"This was a defeat for denialism and lies. I must confess that every time I attended a debate, I felt embarrassed," he said.
He also doubled down on his commitment to Brazil's sovereignty.
"Either the homeland remains free, or we die for Brazil," he said. "This country will not accept being anyone's backyard."
In Rio de Janeiro, cars beeped their horns and a woman dressed in red — the color of Lula supporters — shouted "You lost! Cry harder!" to four men in yellow and green sipping beers, Bolsonaro's signature colors. A huge roar echoed in the street as the result was confirmed.
Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman and supporter of Bolsonaro, said that another Lula government would harm the economy. He pointed to financial markets' positive reaction to the result of the first round, when Bolsonaro bested Lula.
"I don't understand how people can vote for Lula," he said. "The country is collapsing."
Lula is set to begin his fourth non-consecutive term as president on Jan. 5, 2027.
Bolsonaro rejects results after confusion at polling places
The electoral court's announcement ended an evening of confusion at polling places after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ruled three minutes before the scheduled end of voting to keep polls open for two more hours, following requests by both candidates. Lula's request came after issues with buses that provide transportation to polls in Sao Paulo and Salvador, two cities that tend to favor the incumbent. Bolsonaro's request was due to heavy rains in Brazil's south, where he is favored.
The decision delayed tallying the votes by two hours. It was unclear how many polling stations stayed open after the scheduled closing time. Polling stations in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro closed shortly after the original 5 p.m. deadline, reporters for The Associated Press observed.
Bolsonaro, whose father is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup after he lost the 2022 presidential election to Lula, pointed out that Zanin is Lula's former lawyer and criticized him for "changing the rules of the game in the middle of the game."
"It's impossible to recognize the results of the election in the context of these things that happened," he said.
It's not clear if Bolsonaro's complaint could meet the legal threshold to annul the results. Bolsonaro also has the right to request a recount if he has evidence of fraud, but that might not change the results.
The president of the electoral court, Kassio Nunes Marques, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Bolsonaro, said that the extension of voting hours did not impact results.
Joao Pedro Padua, a law professor at the Fluminense Federal University, said that Bolsonaro can file a lawsuit directly with the country's electoral authorities or the Supreme Court, asking for the elections to be declared null and void.
"But there isn't much legal basis for that," Padua said. "The extension of voting hours is unusual, but for it to invalidate the elections, the candidate would have to prove that it affected voters' ability to freely express their will. There doesn't seem to have been any such impact."
Lula overcame concerns about security and cost of living
Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. Sunday night's victory by Lula marked the first time since Brazil's military dictatorship ended in 1985 that the second-highest vote-getter in the first-round elections won the presidency.
Lula faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs while Lula, trying to lure undecided voters, has invested in costly incentives.
Both have been hit by corruption suspicions involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. Lula previously spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.
This will likely be the last victory of the veteran leader's political career. Lula began his political career in the 1970s as a union leader. He then helped found the Workers' Party, which he represented as a presidential candidate three times until he finally won it in 2002. He was reelected four years later and was succeeded by one of his cabinet ministers, Dilma Rousseff, in 2010. She was reelected in 2014 but impeached two years later.
Lula tried to run for president again in 2018 but was jailed in March after being convicted. He was released from prison after 580 days and saw Brazil's Supreme Court annul his sentence after police found messages that showed the judge who convicted him was biased. He quickly became one of Jair Bolsonaro's biggest critics and narrowly beat him in 2022.
Since he lost the first round, Lula reorganized his campaign, appealed to young voters, put millions of Brazilians on the streets to defend democratic values and his legacy, raised fears of another Bolsonaro administration and boosted several government initiatives.
He joins Trump and Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega — all aged 80 — as one of the oldest presidents in the Americas.
Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. Brigida reported from Brasilia.
Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
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