Lula reacts to U.S. tariffs: 'This is the moment to show courage and prioritize our own interests'

247 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended this Tuesday (22) the unity of Latin American countries in response to the tariffs imposed on the region's economies by United States President Donald Trump.

Lula argued that the current priority must be “to ensure economic stability” in order to navigate what he described as an “adverse political world,” both domestically and internationally.

"I am seriously concerned about what is happening in the world today," the president emphasized during a speech at the Brazil-Chile Business Forum in Brasília, organized by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and attended by Chilean President Gabriel Boric.

Lula warned that some wars have started precisely due to trade disputes, and went on to criticize the trade tariffs imposed by Trump.

He also expressed skepticism about the future of globalization:

"I heard the narrative that globalization was the solution to all of humanity's problems. I confess, I find it very strange that the country which, since World War II, has symbolized democracy and free trade, has now made a U-turn and is promoting the largest commercial taxation policy the world has ever seen, supposedly in defense of something unknown and under the assumption that multilateralism is being thrown in the trash, replaced by protectionism — which has never helped anyone."

In the face of this hostile scenario, Lula warned against a new Cold War and stated that Brazil will not take sides. "No country in the world is interested in a Cold War," he said.

Instead, Lula said, Brazil will promote regional integration based on open and sovereign commercial relations.

In this context, he called for greater unity among Latin American countries: "We must form a bloc like the European Union, like ASEAN, with institutions that provide security. We need to build institutional structures regardless of who holds the presidency."

"Entrepreneurs across the region must seek financing in each other's countries, taking advantage of all complementarities to foster growth," the president added. "For many decades we waited for the U.S. and Europe to make us rich, then we waited for China. But what we really need is to become rich here, by ourselves."

Lula issued a warning in case countries in the region lack “courage” to react to the current landscape: "We have to believe in ourselves. This is the moment to show courage and decide what to do. We don't want to prioritize the interests of other nations, but rather our own. There is no other way. We must open the doors, always bearing in mind that both sides must benefit — like a two-way street."

He concluded by defending greater trade openness in Brazil, especially with a focus on South America, emphasizing the potential to expand relations with Chile in strategic sectors: "Imagine our potential in critical minerals, with AI expressed in a Latin American voice, without copying from China or the U.S. We need the courage to do this."