Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has defended the trial which saw his predecessor in office, Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for plotting a coup.
In an opinion piece published in the New York Times, Lula dismissed the description by US President Donald Trump of the trial as a witch hunt, saying that it was a historic decision which safeguards our institutions and the democratic rule of law.
The Brazilian leader said he had written the essay to establish an open and frank dialogue with US President Donald Trump, who has imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports. Lula called the tariff hike not only misguided but illogical.
Relations have been tense between the US and Brazil in recent months, contrasting sharply with the friendship established between Trump and Bolsonaro. Lula, a left-wing leader known for his direct tone, emphasized that the US has accumulated a surplus of $410 billion in bilateral trade over 15 years, arguing that the decision to impose tariffs was purely political.
He also suggested that the US government is attempting to seek impunity for Bolsonaro through tariffs and sanctions against the Brazilian Supreme Court justice who led the trial against Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro was found guilty of all charges by 4 out of 5 Supreme Court justices, leading to his sentence of 27 years and 3 months in prison, which his lawyers plan to appeal.
Trump expressed surprise at the verdict and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated a strong response would follow, dubbing it a witch hunt. Lula countered that the trial was compliant with Brazil's Constitution established post-military dictatorship in 1985.
He concluded his New York Times article by reiterating Brazil's openness to beneficial negotiations but firmly stated that Brazil's democracy and sovereignty are not on the table.
