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Lula blames Marco Rubio for trade conflict, calls him 'anti-Latin American'
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Economy & Trade

Lula blames Marco Rubio for trade conflict, calls him 'anti-Latin American'

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Brazil's President Lula da Silva criticized U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for escalating a trade conflict.
  • Lula contrasted his relationship with President Trump, which he described as respectful, with Rubio's perceived anti-Latin American stance.
  • The criticism came during an event announcing a 37% reduction in Amazon deforestation alerts.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva directly criticized U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accusing him of fueling the bilateral trade conflict. Lula made these remarks during an event in São Paulo where preliminary deforestation data for the Amazon was presented.

But he (Trump) has a citizen who doesn't like Brazil, who doesn't like Latin America, and who is a Bolsonarista: the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio

— Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaCriticizing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's stance on Brazil and Latin America.

While expressing respect for U.S. President Donald Trump and their recent conversations about fostering harmony between the Americas' largest democracies, Lula sharply distinguished his relationship with the president from his view of the State Department. "But he (Trump) has a citizen who doesn't like Brazil, who doesn't like Latin America, and who is a Bolsonarista: the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio," Lula stated.

Lula characterized Rubio, a Cuban-American, as "anti-Latin American, or a frustrated Latin American." He suggested Rubio's background led him to dislike Brazil and Colombia, acting contrary to the dialogue Lula has with Trump. The Brazilian president questioned the validity of U.S. trade tariff arguments, particularly concerning Brazil's environmental efforts.

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

— Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaDescribing Marco Rubio's perceived animosity towards Latin American nations.

"Nobody, not even the United States, takes the climate issue as seriously as Brazil. Nobody," Lula asserted, referencing Trump's past skepticism about climate change. The U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on many Brazilian imports on July 22, citing unfair trade practices related to electronic payments, intellectual property, market access for ethanol, and alleged tolerance of illegal deforestation. Lula stated he would send Trump data demonstrating the record drop in Amazon deforestation to counter these justifications.

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

— Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaAsserting Brazil's commitment to climate action in response to U.S. trade tariffs.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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