This past week witnessed a dramatic turn of events as U.S. President Donald Trump introduced an executive order to impose large scale, 50 percent tariffs on Brazil. This move is seen as an intensification of United States’ antagonism towards Latin America. In its highly confrontational phrasing, reminiscent of a declaration of war, the order proclaims a ‘national emergency’, asserting that the Brazilian government poses a significant ‘risk to the security’ of the United States.
One of the major political situations cited by Trump to vindicate this incursion is the ongoing legal proceedings against Brazil’s former President, Jair Bolsonaro, and his associates for their part in an attempted coup. This incident reached its climax on 8th January 2023, with an insurrection in Brasília. The Bolsonaro case and those of his co-conspirators are moving towards closure, with the Supreme Court expected to announce their ruling before the year concludes.
These events have unfolded within Brazil’s current democratic structure and may be seen as a deliberate attempt to thwart the swearing-in of the President-elect, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers Party (PT). The objective appears to be to institute a presidential dictatorship, supported by the military. Strikingly, Washington has already announced that it will not accept the upcoming elected government.
Trump’s words reveal an intent to consolidate a role similar to the dictators he often appears to emulate. He argued that the intensity and severity of recent actions implemented by the Government of Brazil pose a unique and disproportionate threat to America’s national security, foreign policy, and economic stability. Consequently, he declared a national emergency in relation to this perceived threat.
Trump added that this executive order and the subsequent action are strictly conducive to the national emergency enumerated in the order, and are not initiated with any ulterior motives. This rationale provides an insight into the motivations driving not only this specific action against Brazil, but also the wider global trade war incited by Washington.
Alongside these powerful declarations, the order released a list delineating hundreds of products that will be exempted from the proposed 40 percent tariff hike. The exemptions serve to underscore the discretionary and highly intrusive nature of this intervention, highlighting the arbitrary manner in which it has been applied.
What’s more, Trump’s order specifically targets the Supreme Court Justice presiding over Bolsonaro’s trial, adding another layer of controversy to the case. A series of harsh economic sanctions were announced immediately after the proclamation of the ‘national emergency,’ which includes the freezing of assets and bank accounts belonging to specific individuals in the U.S.
Measures of this kind against Brazil recall the declaration of a ‘national emergency’ against Venezuela issued by the Obama administration a decade ago, in March 2015. Back then, anticipation was high regarding Obama’s interventionist measure, with many speculating about more direct intervention, potentially involving military action.
In a similar vein, Trump’s order shares a common basis with its predecessor, but is considerably broader and more confrontational in its approach. The relationship between the United States and Latin America appears to be reaching a critical, and likely irreversible, juncture in history.
The inherent complexities became viscerally apparent during a visit to Panama by the U.S. Secretary of Defense in April. It became clearer that Bolsonaro and his associates willingly project themselves as vehicles for these imperialistic objectives, a stance widely resented by Brazilians and the broader Latin American populace.
The Brazilian Socialist Equality Group has voiced strong objections to Washington’s tariffs and its aggressive political interference within Brazil, labeling it an assault on a historically subjugated nation. The working classes of Brazil and Latin America are advised against aligning with the political agenda of their ‘own’ national bourgeoisie in the battle against imperialism.
The group issued a clear appeal to the Brazilian labor force, urging them to rise against imperialism, the looming threat of fascism, and the mounting socioeconomic disparity. They encouraged them to join forces with global comrades of the same working class in a collective pursuance of a worldwide socialist revolution.
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