Lula not to approve US ambassador nominee until after elections
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that the Brazilian government will only grant his approval to Daniel Perez – the nominee of US President Donald Trump for the US Embassy in Brasília – after the October elections.
The statement was made on a podcast on Friday (Aug. 14), when the president also criticized attempts by the US government to meddle in Brazil’s internal affairs.
“I’ve been told [the US] wanted to send two people here to study the voting machines, and we didn’t grant them visas. Now, they want me to rush to accept their ambassador. But we’ll only [accept him] after the elections,” said the president.
President Lula criticized the delay in the nomination and the timing of the announcement.
“If the US ambassador is important to Brazil; why did they go a year and six months without sending an ambassador here? And why are they only sending one now, with 45 days left before the elections?” he asked.
Despite the criticism, Lula emphasized that Brazil wants to maintain a good relationship with the US and does not want conflict with the country.
“We don’t need to fight. I don’t want war. I want to discuss [these issues] seriously. Brazil wants to have a good relationship with the US,” he declared.
When commenting on his relationship with President Donald Trump, Lula said he believed that the measures recently taken against Brazil did not come directly from the White House, but from members of his staff.
“I don’t think he’s the one who dislikes Brazil,” Lula said, before pointing to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as one of those responsible for the tensions between the two nations – and as someone who dislikes both Brazil and Latin America.
Reciprocity Law
Commenting on the tariffs imposed on Brazil, Lula said that “regrettably, they are spreading falsehoods about Brazil.”
Lula explained that invoking the Reciprocity Law against the US last Thursday (Aug. 13) aimed “to show that we are not to be taken lightly, and that we respect ourselves.”
The president also reaffirmed that he is prepared to defend Brazilian interests in the face of disagreements with the US.
“I am calm, knowing what might happen, and prepared to debate the defense of Brazil anywhere on the planet,” he concluded.
