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Lula blames Marco Rubio for Brazil-U.S. trade conflict, calling him a 'frustrated Latin American'
🇲🇽 Mexico /Economy & Trade

Lula blames Marco Rubio for Brazil-U.S. trade conflict, calling him a 'frustrated Latin American'

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for escalating a trade conflict between Brazil and the U.S.
  • Lula described Rubio as an "anti-Latin American" or a "frustrated Latin American" with a dislike for Brazil and Latin America.
  • The criticism came during an event announcing preliminary data on reduced deforestation in the Amazon.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has directly accused U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of exacerbating a bilateral trade dispute, labeling him an "anti-Latin American" and a "frustrated Latin American" who harbors animosity towards Brazil and the region.

But he (Trump) has a citizen who does not like Brazil, who does not like Latin America, and who is a Bolsonaro supporter: Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

— Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaPresident Lula of Brazil criticizing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a press conference.

Lula voiced these strong criticisms during an event where Brazil presented preliminary data showing a 37% reduction in Amazon deforestation alerts for the 2025-2026 period. While separating President Donald Trump from Rubio, Lula stated his relationship with the U.S. president is one of "much respect," recounting a recent conversation where he urged Trump to promote "harmony" between the two largest democracies in the Americas instead of relying on "disinformation."

However, Lula directed his sharpest remarks toward the State Department, specifically targeting Rubio. "But he (Trump) has a citizen who does not like Brazil, who does not like Latin America, and who is a Bolsonaro supporter: Secretary of State Marco Rubio," Lula declared. He further elaborated that Rubio, of Cuban descent from Miami, "hates Cuba, hates Colombia, hates Brazil, and does things differently from what we discussed with Trump."

He is an anti-Latin American, or a frustrated Latin American. (...) He is a descendant of Cubans from Miami, so he hates Cuba, hates Colombia, hates Brazil, and does things differently from what we discussed with Trump.

— Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaPresident Lula of Brazil describing Marco Rubio's alleged animosity towards Latin America.

The Brazilian president questioned the validity of U.S. trade tariffs imposed on Brazilian imports, which began on July 22nd. The U.S. cited unfair trade practices, including Brazil's electronic payment system (PIX), anti-corruption laws, intellectual property protection, market access for ethanol, and alleged tolerance of illegal deforestation. Lula expressed doubt that any country takes climate issues as seriously as Brazil, contrasting this with Trump's past skepticism about climate change.

Nobody, not even the United States, takes the climate issue as seriously as Brazil. Nobody.

— Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaPresident Lula of Brazil asserting his country's commitment to climate action during a press event.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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