Seoul Gazette - Bolsonaro conviction 'not a witch hunt,' Lula tells Trump in NYT op-ed

In his first public reaction to Bolsonaro's conviction, Lula wrote in a New York Times opinion column -- addressed to US counterpart Donald Trump -- that he was "proud" of the Supreme Court verdict which "safeguards our institutions and the democratic rule of law."

"This was not a 'witch hunt'" as Trump and other US officials have called the trial, Lula wrote in a guest essay titled: "Brazilian democracy and sovereignty are non-negotiable."

Trump's ally Bolsonaro, 70, was convicted in a 4-1 decision of plotting a coup to overthrow leftist rival Lula following the far-right leader's October 2022 election defeat.

He was sentenced to 27 years in prison, in a conviction Trump called "very surprising" and which top US diplomat Marco Rubio warned will prompt action from Washington.

Bolsonaro's lawyers have said they will appeal.

Lula also criticized Trump for hiking tariffs on his country, describing the 50-percent duty imposition on several Brazilian goods as "not only misguided but illogical," given the United States' trade surplus with Brazil.

"Resorting to unilateral action against individual states is to prescribe the wrong remedy," the veteran leftist said, calling for multilateral negotiations.

The lack of a logical economic rationale behind the tariffs, Lula added, "makes it clear that the motivation of the White House is political."

Lula also knocked Trump's administration for accusing Brazil of "targeting and censoring" American tech companies like X, arguing that such firms were being regulated, not censored.

And he described as "baseless" Washington's charge of unfair practices in electronic payment services and in its digital payment system known as PIX.

Lula, who at 79 is barely seven months older than Trump, said he penned his essay "to establish an open and frank dialogue" with his US counterpart, and stressed Brasilia remains "open" to negotiation on any issue.

"When the United States turns its back on a relationship of more than 200 years, such as the one it maintains with Brazil, everyone loses," Lula wrote.

"There are no ideological differences that should prevent two governments from working together in areas where they have common goals."

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly criticized Brazil's judicial system over the Bolsonaro case, which has sparked a diplomatic crisis between the two biggest economies in the Americas.

But Lula insisted the judicial actions were fair and comprehensive.

"It followed months of investigations that uncovered plans to assassinate me, the vice president and a Supreme Court justice," he said.

The plot was not carried out due to lack of support from the military leadership, according to the Supreme Court ruling.

The process was "very much like they tried to do with me, but they didn't get away with it at all," Trump said Thursday, referring to his own legal battle after his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

V.Bae--SG