Wearing a cap with the slogan “Brazil belongs to Brazilians,” President Lula gathered all 38 of his cabinet ministers on Tuesday (26) at the Planalto Palace to deliver a series of messages and criticisms directed at both domestic opponents and U.S. President Donald Trump, who imposed steep tariffs on Brazilian goods. Mr. Lula also targeted the family of former President Jair Bolsonaro, saying Congress should pursue them for “treason against the homeland.”
The meeting also marked the launch of a new government slogan: “Government of Brazil: on the side of the Brazilian people,” replacing “Union and Reconstruction,” in use since early 2023.
The comments came during the year’s second ministerial summit, which lasted about three hours. In his opening remarks, which were broadcast to the press, President Lula used the context of the new 50% tariffs on Brazilian products to call on his ministers to take action and reaffirmed the government’s position on the matter.
Without mentioning anyone directly, the Brazilian president described the actions of Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro (Liberal Party–São Paulo) as one of the “worst acts of betrayal” Brazil has ever suffered. He argued that this issue must be fought politically and said Eduardo should have already been expelled from the Lower House for encouraging the United States “with lies and hypocrisy” to turn against Brazil.
“This is inexplicable. We need to make this a political battlefront, not a governmental one, so that our country can be respected,” Mr. Lula said. “I don’t know of any other moment in our history when a traitor had the audacity to move abroad while denying their homeland and inciting hatred from certain American leaders toward the Brazilian people,” he added.
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Criticizing both the United States and the Bolsonaro family, Mr. Lula said that Donald Trump “wants to be emperor of the world,” but stressed that “if Brazil liked emperors, we would still be a monarchy.” He added, “We want this country to be democratic, sovereign, and republican.”
Responding directly to Mr. Trump, President Lula also took aim at U.S. tech companies, saying, “They may be American property, but they are not our property.” On Monday (25), Mr. Trump had renewed threats to impose or raise tariffs on countries that tax or regulate U.S. tech companies.
Mr. Lula said Brazil is a sovereign country and that “anyone who wants to enter must comply with our Constitution and legislation.” He added, “That’s the only way we can build and strengthen the democratic, multilateral world that Brazil insists on defending.” The government is currently working on two bills to regulate digital platforms, expected to be sent to Congress in the coming days.
Sovereignty as a rallying cry
Mr. Lula also urged his ministers to consistently defend Brazil’s sovereignty and unity in their public statements. President Lula’s allies believe that emphasizing sovereignty will help the government reframe its position amid the ongoing trade dispute with the U.S. and potentially regain public support.
That line of thinking shaped the approval of the new slogan “Government of Brazil: on the side of the Brazilian people.” The communications team led by Minister Sidônio Palmeira built the new messaging around the theme of social justice—a concept Mr. Lula has increasingly emphasized in recent months. The slogan is expected to appear in government campaigns starting next week.
President Lula also touched on the stalled trade talks with the United States, reiterating his willingness to negotiate but insisting that Brazil will not accept being treated as a “subordinate” at the table. “[Vice President and Industry Minister] Geraldo Alckmin, [Finance Minister Fernando] Haddad, and [Foreign Minister] Mauro Vieira are available 24 hours a day to negotiate with anyone, on any subject, especially trade,” he said.
Shortly after the meeting, Mr. Alckmin departed for Mexico with a group of ministers and business leaders to strengthen bilateral trade relations in light of the U.S. tariffs. The visit will conclude on Thursday (28) with a meeting at the National Palace with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
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Following the president’s remarks, Chief of Staff Rui Costa addressed the ministers and urged them to step up their efforts during what he called the “final stretch” of Mr. Lula’s third term. One of the few cabinet members to speak during the meeting, Mr. Costa encouraged colleagues to increase their presence across the country and better communicate government initiatives.
Mr. Costa outlined key actions by each ministry and made several announcements. He said the government will launch the “Gás do Povo” program next week, expanding the gas subsidy (Auxílio-Gás) to 15 million families. He also said that a new line of the low-income housing program Minha Casa, Minha Vida, or MCMV (My House, My Life), focused on home renovations, will be announced soon. The initiative is expected to involve R$30 billion. Since Mr. Lula returned to office, 1.8 million housing contracts have been signed under the MCMV, with a target of 3 million by the end of 2026.
Mr. Costa also provided an update on the New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC). From early 2023 through April of this year, R$818 billion has been invested in 22,400 projects under the program.
