BRASILIA: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday that he hopes Donald Trump can come and get to know the real Brazil, as the South American powerhouse reels from Washington’s 50-percent tariffs.
In a video taken while he planted grapes – one of the tariff-hit goods – Brazil’s leftist leader addressed Trump.
“I hope you can visit someday so we can talk and you can get to know the true Brazil, the Brazil of people who love samba, carnival, soccer, the United States, China, Russia, Uruguay, and Venezuela. We love everyone,” Lula said.
The tariffs imposed on Brazil are among the steepest to hit a US trading partner.
And unlike with other countries, the measures against Brazil have been framed in openly political terms, with the Republican president justifying the move by alleging Brasilia is conducting a “witch hunt” against his ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro is being tried for an alleged coup attempt against Lula in 2022, and the United States recently sanctioned the judge in the case, along with seven other Supreme Court magistrates.
Lula has backed the Supreme Court and promises to defend “the sovereignty of the Brazilian people.”
His administration has also vowed to combat Trump’s tariffs, including by lodging an appeal if necessary.
The levies, which affect several key exports from the largest economy in Latin America, sweep aside centuries-old trade ties and a surplus that Brasilia put at $284 million last year.
In his message on X, Lula said he was giving an example of “planting food, and not planting violence, or planting hate.”
“I hope that someday we can talk, President Trump, so you can learn about the quality of the Brazilian people,” he adds.
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‘Planting food, not hate’: Brazil’s Lula razzes Trump over tariff-hit grapes
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‘Planting food, not hate’: Brazil’s Lula razzes Trump over tariff-hit grapes
- South American powerhouse reels from Washington’s 50-percent tariffs
- The tariffs imposed on Brazil are among the steepest to hit a US trading partner
Inside the Mexican resort that was the final hideout of ‘El Mencho’
- The roar of machine guns and drone of helicopters shook the luxurious resort where Mexico’s most-wanted cartel boss hid on Sunday
TAPALPA:The roar of machine guns and drone of helicopters shook the luxurious resort where Mexico’s most-wanted cartel boss hid on Sunday, plunging tourists enjoying the picturesque western Mexican town of Tapalpa into panic.
Nemesio Oseguera, the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader known as “El Mencho,” attempted to flee the audacious Mexican military operation in the mountainous area of the Jalisco state but was wounded during the escape and died while in transport to a hospital.
“It was terrifying... you could hear machine guns firing from the ground into the air and from the air to the ground,” a tourist who arrived at the resort the night before the operation told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.
The gunfire erupted around dawn.
“It gradually increased, and then the weapons were loud,” the man said, estimating the shootout lasted a couple of hours.
Tourists who rented the exclusive cabins were allowed to leave on Tuesday, following an initial request from the mayor’s office on Sunday to shelter in place.
Last date
Oseguera had his last date in the cabin resort with a girlfriend, who officials say was key to tracking the drug lord.
He had maintained a low profile at the Tapalpa Country Club, according to AFP interviews.
“I didn’t know there were people like that (here),” said one young domestic worker who lives in the area, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
But a tourist, who also asked not to be identified, said he had heard that the drug lord “was in this region.”
He said he imagined what might happen if they tried to arrest the cartel boss.
“It was a very tense moment,” he said of the violence, which involved a firefight between government special forces and the cartel’s security detail.
Authorities on Tuesday prevented people from approaching the scene of the battle.
The drug lord’s two-story stone resort house, which displayed large religious images on the exterior, was surrounded by hundreds of shell casings and an abandoned Jeep with its doors open, according to residents.
Mexican media outlets published images of the cabin’s luxurious interior, showing furniture with open drawers and unmade beds.
A table with religious images and candles, a handwritten prayer and medication for the kidney problems that had reportedly plagued Oseguera for years could also be seen.
Incendiary revenge
Oseguera’s killing made Tapalpa, a town known for its scenic charm and ecotourism activities, the epicenter of a wave of retaliation from the CJNG that spread to 20 of Mexico’s 32 states.
“They were burning cars and buses on the outskirts of Tapalpa,” the domestic worker recalled.
By Tuesday, the town was desolate.
Tourists, who usually spend weekends in this wooded retreat, began to head home.
str-lp/lga/lb
Nemesio Oseguera, the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader known as “El Mencho,” attempted to flee the audacious Mexican military operation in the mountainous area of the Jalisco state but was wounded during the escape and died while in transport to a hospital.
“It was terrifying... you could hear machine guns firing from the ground into the air and from the air to the ground,” a tourist who arrived at the resort the night before the operation told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.
The gunfire erupted around dawn.
“It gradually increased, and then the weapons were loud,” the man said, estimating the shootout lasted a couple of hours.
Tourists who rented the exclusive cabins were allowed to leave on Tuesday, following an initial request from the mayor’s office on Sunday to shelter in place.
Last date
Oseguera had his last date in the cabin resort with a girlfriend, who officials say was key to tracking the drug lord.
He had maintained a low profile at the Tapalpa Country Club, according to AFP interviews.
“I didn’t know there were people like that (here),” said one young domestic worker who lives in the area, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
But a tourist, who also asked not to be identified, said he had heard that the drug lord “was in this region.”
He said he imagined what might happen if they tried to arrest the cartel boss.
“It was a very tense moment,” he said of the violence, which involved a firefight between government special forces and the cartel’s security detail.
Authorities on Tuesday prevented people from approaching the scene of the battle.
The drug lord’s two-story stone resort house, which displayed large religious images on the exterior, was surrounded by hundreds of shell casings and an abandoned Jeep with its doors open, according to residents.
Mexican media outlets published images of the cabin’s luxurious interior, showing furniture with open drawers and unmade beds.
A table with religious images and candles, a handwritten prayer and medication for the kidney problems that had reportedly plagued Oseguera for years could also be seen.
Incendiary revenge
Oseguera’s killing made Tapalpa, a town known for its scenic charm and ecotourism activities, the epicenter of a wave of retaliation from the CJNG that spread to 20 of Mexico’s 32 states.
“They were burning cars and buses on the outskirts of Tapalpa,” the domestic worker recalled.
By Tuesday, the town was desolate.
Tourists, who usually spend weekends in this wooded retreat, began to head home.
str-lp/lga/lb
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