After months of high-level economic and political tensions, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his American counterpart Donald Trump have both signaled that relations are improving.
The two leaders held a 40-minute phone call on Tuesday that each side described as “productive.”
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They also discussed reducing trade barriers and combating organized crime. The men both agreed that they would resume conversation soon.
In a social media post that followed the call, Lula stated that “It is urgent to increase cooperation with the US to combat international organized crime.
“President Trump emphasized that he was fully committed to working with Brazil and that he would support joint initiatives to combat these criminal organizations.”
Trump and Trump, on the other hand, made it clear that their conversation was a continuation of the one they had started in September on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “President Lula and I established a relationship at a meeting that took place at the United Nations, and I believe it set the stage for very good dialogue and agreement long into the future.”
“I’m eager to speak with and see him soon. This newly formed partnership will have a lot of positive outcomes”!
Bolsonaro has caused a stir
Brazil and the US have typically strong ties, but after Trump’s second term as president, that bond became strained earlier this year.
Trump, a Republican, had forged close ties with Jair Bolsonaro, a former right-wing leader, who resigned from office in 2023.
Bolsonaro, however, was charged in February with attempting to overturn the results of his 2022 presidential election, which he lost to Lula.
A panel of five members of Brazil’s Supreme Court heard his case.
Trump protested the trial, and in July he threatened to raise tariffs on some Brazilian goods by 50% if the case wasn’t dropped. In August, those tariffs became effective.
Alexandre de Moraes, a member of Brazil’s Supreme Court and a key figure in the Bolsonaro investigation, was also subject to sanctions and visa restrictions from the US.
Lula criticized Trump for influencing Brazilian courts, and compared the tariffs to “blackmail.”
Bolsonaro was taken into custody last month after receiving a 27-year prison sentence.
A disconnect between relationships?
A brief encounter between Lula and Trump at the UNGA and a turning point appeared to have occurred in September.
Both men were surprised by how warm their meeting was, and they exchanged hugs.
At the UN conference, Trump said, “I was walking in and the Brazilian leader was walking out.” I recognized him. He recognized me. And we “embraced”
Trump continued to say they had “excellent chemistry” and had promised to meet Lula again. Trump responded, “He seemed like a very nice man, actually.” He liked me, I said. He appealed to me. And I only deal with satisfied customers.
Following that, the two leaders reconnected in Malaysia for an ASEAN conference.
Additionally, Trump made the announcement on November 20 that he would reverse the tariff increase for certain Brazilian agricultural products, including beef, cocoa, and coffee.
Lula praised the tariff rollback on Tuesday, saying it was “very positive,” but that more needed to be done.
Lula said, “I made it clear that there are still other tariffed products that need to be discussed between the two nations.” Brazil wants to start these negotiations soon.
In his conversation with Lula, Trump again indicated that he had spoken with him about the “sanctions imposed on various Brazilian dignitaries.”
Brazil’s second-largest trading partner is the US, behind China, and in 2024, the two nations exchanged goods and services worth roughly $ 127.6 billion.
Brazil has a significant trade deficit with the US, despite Trump’s criticism of its economic policies as being defamatory.
Brazil exports nearly $91.5 billion to the US, compared to only $36.1 billion in Brazilian exports.
collaboration in preventing organized crime
The possibility of greater organized crime collaboration was another pillar of Tuesday’s high-level discussion.
Trump has made tackling criminal networks in Latin America a top priority in his foreign policy strategy. Since taking office, he has designated numerous Latin American cartels and gangs as “foreign terrorist organizations.”
Along the southern coast of South America, he has also launched a number of airstrikes against boats and other nautical vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Human rights experts have referred to the attacks as extrajudicial killings, in violation of international law, despite Trump’s claim that the bombing campaign is a necessary bulwark against drug trafficking. The strikes have claimed at least 83 lives.
Before his re-election bid in 2026, Lula himself has been subject to pressure to address crime in Brazil.
For instance, he demanded stronger legislation to combat criminal networks from Brazilian lawmakers in November. His recommendations included greater support for Brazil’s intelligence community and the federal police.
In a social media post posted on November 19, Lula stated, “We need strong and secure laws to combat organized crime.
Despite the government’s criticism of the 122-person fatal police raid on October 28 in Rio de Janeiro, the country’s government is still under investigation.
Lula demanded an investigation into the incident, which was intended to stop a criminal organization known as the Red Command.
