Lula claims that Bolsonaro “is part of the past” and says that the relationship with Trump will be conducted on a political basis

During a press conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this Sunday (26), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that former president Jair Bolsonaro “is part of the past of Brazilian politics” and that the former president’s name will have no influence on the relationship between Brazil and the United States. The statement was released by Economic Value.

Lula’s statement came after a meeting with US President Donald Trump. According to the head of the Brazilian Executive, negotiations between the two countries will be conducted on two distinct fronts: commercial issues will be the responsibility of technical teams, while political issues will be dealt with directly by the presidents.

“President Trump and Lula will discuss politics, and the technicians will negotiate commercial taxes,” said Lula. The Brazilian government is trying to reverse tariffs imposed by the United States on national products, which started to impact sectors such as coffee, meat and steel.

Sanctions and Magnitsky Act

Lula also stated that the topic involving US sanctions applied to Brazilian authorities was discussed in the conversation. Among the measures in question is the application of the Magnitsky Law, which provides for individual punishments — such as visa restrictions and freezing of assets — for people considered involved in violations of rights or serious illegal acts.

“The ‘Bolsonaro’ issue came up because we asked for the cancellation of the sanctions. The Magnitsky Act is political, it will be resolved between Trump and me”, declared the president.

Lula also said that he presented Trump with the Brazilian government’s version of Bolsonaro’s conviction. According to him, the criminal action that resulted in the sentence for the former president was based on evidence that would point to an assassination plan against himself, vice-president Geraldo Alckmin and minister Alexandre de Moraes. Lula stated that the trial followed due legal process. “The ministers guaranteed contradictory and broad defense,” he said.

Bolsonaro denies the accusations and his lawyers maintain that the process was politically motivated. There was no immediate public demonstration of defense after Lula’s speech in Malaysia.

“King dead, king set”

When commenting on the Brazilian political scenario, Lula declared that the former president had lost space and relevance. “Trump knows that the king is dead, the king is made. Bolsonaro is part of the past of Brazilian politics”, he stated. The president added that the United States government would understand this assessment with deeper diplomatic talks. “If you had more meetings with me, you would realize that Bolsonaro was nothing,” he said.

Lula stated, however, that his position is not a personal attack, but an assessment of the current political situation. “I don’t speak in a personal tone, I speak in a political tone, in the interests of my country”, he concluded.

Next diplomatic steps

After the meeting in Malaysia, a schedule of official visits between the two presidents is being prepared. Trump expressed interest in traveling to Brazil, and Lula declared that he would accept a visit to the United States. The schedule will be defined by the chancelleries.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, the meeting was “positive” and marked the formal resumption of bilateral dialogue. “It was the first step towards negotiation. Now the technical work on tariffs and other topics on the agenda begins”, he stated.

The resumption of talks comes after months of tension, marked by the imposition of trade barriers and differences involving North American policy towards South America, including Venezuela and Colombia. Lula defends that changes be made through diplomatic and regional cooperation mechanisms.