Analysis: Lula demands unified speech on US tariffs

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) participated in a ministerial meeting this Wednesday (3). According to CNN Political Analyst Isabel Mega on Live CNN, the meeting helped Lula demand a unified communication strategy from ministers in the face of the new American tariff offensive.

The meeting had been called before the announcement of the surcharges, but the new developments significantly changed the agenda. "With President Lula really demanding from the ministers what speech the government will have as a union in relation to this new front that is forming over the United States", explained Isabel Mega when analyzing the content of the meeting.

Possible meeting with Trump at the G7
One of the points highlighted by the analyst was Lula's confirmation that he will participate in the G7 summit in Paris, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

According to Isabel Mega, there is a prospect that American President Donald Trump will also attend the event, which could open up space for a bilateral meeting between the two leaders.

"This could open up some room for a bilateral 'tête-à-tête' between Lula and Trump", stated the analyst, highlighting that the hypothesis is still in the field of assumptions.

Irritation channeled at Marco Rubio
Isabel Mega also drew attention to the fact that Lula directed his most scathing criticisms at the American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, described as "a frustrated Latin American".

According to the analyst, there is an assessment from Brazilian government sources that Trump is strongly influenced by this ideological wing.

"There were people who suspected that that first tariff had actually gone through Donald Trump, which was very much due to the influence of these top advisors", reported Isabel Mega.

When mentioning Trump directly, Lula would have adopted a more general tone, stating that Trump "cannot be the emperor of the world".

Mega also highlighted that the Brazilian government demonstrated clear discomfort with the situation. After a year of explanations about the trade relationship with the US and a meeting described as productive, the announcement of new tariffs was met with resentment.

"Brazil has already explained the surplus relationship, it has already explained point by point of that commercial investigation. So yes, there is discomfort from the Brazilian government", said Isabel Mega. Lula would have indicated that he still intends to write to Trump, signaling that the channel of dialogue remains open.

Electoral tone and message to ministers
In addition to diplomatic issues, the meeting also had an internal nature focused on the electoral calendar. According to Isabel Mega, Lula instructed ministers not to adopt initiatives that could harm the government's image, since the deadline for public acts using the government structure is coming to an end.

The analyst noted that the PT and government leaders' speech began to hold the Bolsonaro family responsible for trade tensions with the USA, without names being mentioned directly.

"President Lula doesn't need to mention the name of Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) or the surname Bolsonaro for us to know what he's talking about", concluded Isabel Mega.

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Source: CNN