Brasilia. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reiterated his intention to negotiate the United States tariff threat, but clarified that"it won't be an American giving orders" to his country, referring to President Donald Trump.

Lula responded again to the possibility of Brazilian products being taxed at 50% starting August 1 and recalled that he began his political life in the unions, where he learned the art of negotiation.

"I am certain that the president of the United States never negotiated 10% of what I negotiated in my life," declared Lula, who pointed out that this is precisely why he defends multilateralism, which"allows states to live more or less in harmony and with respect."

He stated that, in a negotiation, each party must give in on something to reach a consensus and stressed that he expects this from Trump, to clarify that the president of the United States must understand that"it will not be a gringo who gives orders to Brazil."

Trump wants to negotiate on the basis of "releasing Bolsonaro," says Lula

At an event with college students, he insisted that Trump is"very misinformed," to the point that "it seems he doesn't even know that the United States has had a surplus in its trade relationship with Brazil for fifteen years."

However, he claimed that, in his opinion, the Republican only wants to negotiate on the basis of"releasing (Jair) Bolsonaro ", a far-right leader and former president who is facing a criminal trial for an alleged coup d'état, specifically against Lula.

The progressive president cited the letter in which Trump announced his decision to sanction Brazil, which in its first paragraphs criticizes the alleged"persecution" suffered by Bolsonaro and demands that both the trial and what it calls a "witch hunt" cease.

The president reiterated that Brazil sent a letter to the United States last May, suggesting some points of the trade relationship that could be negotiated, but that the only response so far has been the demand that they"release" Bolsonaro.

"But those people are going to be tried, and not because I want them to be, since I'm not a judge. They're being tried by the Supreme Court because they betrayed themselves," he insisted.

He also stated that US internet companies, which Trump also alluded to in his tariff threat, have"an obligation to respect the laws of Brazil," a country that "has a sovereignty of which its people are proud."

According to Lula,"digital" companies will have to "pay taxes" and accept that Brazil "does not accept that, in the name of freedom of expression, insults are committed, lies are committed, violence and hatred are incited against children, women, blacks and the LGBT population."

Lula calls Trump's tariff threat against Brazil "unacceptable blackmail"

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday described US President Donald Trump's announcement that he will impose 50% tariffs on imported Brazilian products starting August 1 as "blackmail" based on false information.

The progressive leader, in a statement on national radio and television, said that the letter Trump sent to the Brazilian government announcing the tariffs is"unacceptable blackmail, in the form of a threat to Brazilian institutions, and with false information about trade between the two countries."