The Brazilian President said today that he is “totally interested” in a possible meeting with his North American counterpart, when they are in Malaysia this weekend, and that he is “willing to defend Brazil’s interests”.
“I’m totally interested in this meeting. And I’m totally willing to defend Brazil’s interests and show that there was a mistake in the tariffs on Brazil,” Lula da Silva told the press in Jakarta, the first stop on a tour of Southeast Asia.
“I want to prove with numbers that it was a mistake”, he stressed.
Brazil and the United States are experiencing an unprecedented diplomatic crisis, after US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on most Brazilian products, following the trial in which former president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison.
Both Lula and Trump will be at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur next Sunday, although the White House has not yet confirmed whether a private meeting between the two will take place.
The Brazilian President insisted that, on his side, there are no prohibited topics at the negotiating table. “We can discuss anything… From Gaza to Ukraine, Russia, Venezuela, critical minerals, rare earths”, he stressed.
“I am convinced that we can move forward and return to a civilized relationship with the United States (…) There is no reason to continue like this,” he added.
Lula refused to specify what concessions Brazil is willing to make in negotiations with the United States, but he was optimistic about the results.
“If I didn’t believe it was possible to reach an agreement, I wouldn’t have this meeting. I never participate in a meeting where I believe it’s not possible to be successful. I’ll only know if it’s a success if I participate,” he added.
Lula, who turns 80 in the next few days, confirmed on Thursday, from Jakarta, his desire to run for a new term in the elections in October next year.
The Brazilian President is expected to travel today to Kuala Lumpur, the next stop on his tour of Southeast Asia, where he will meet the Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, on Saturday, and participate in the ASEAN summit on Sunday, just like Trump.