Brazilian President Luiz In&aacute;cio Lula da Silva has firmly rejected any attempts to treat Brazil as a &ldquo;lesser partner,&rdquo; in a pointed message to Washington amid rising U.S.-Brazil tensions.
Speaking at a ministerial cabinet meeting, Lula emphasised Brazil&rsquo;s sovereignty and warned against foreign interference. &ldquo;Anyone who wants to enter these 8.5 million square kilometres of our airspace, our maritime space, our forests must respect our Constitution and our legislation,&rdquo; he declared.
The remarks come after U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs of up to 50% on Brazilian exports and sanctions against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case against ex-President Jair Bolsonaro. Trump also called Brazil a &ldquo;horrible trading partner&rdquo; and labelled Bolsonaro&rsquo;s trial a &ldquo;political execution.&rdquo;
Lula, pushing back against Trump&rsquo;s criticism, said Brazil is ready for dialogue with the U.S. &ldquo;on equal terms&rdquo; but will not accept a subordinate role. He stressed that sovereignty is not only about protecting territory but also about safeguarding citizens.
&ldquo;We want to care for Brazil, not be dictated to from abroad. Sovereignty is about protecting people,&rdquo; Lula said, adding that his government values respect, not confrontation.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Brazil’s Lula asserts sovereignty, rebukes Trump tariffs, rejects U.S. dominance in trade

Lula: Brazil Refuses Subordinate Status

Brazil’s Lula asserts sovereignty, rebukes Trump tariffs, rejects U.S. dominance in trade

August 27, 2025 | 21:00 IST