On Thursday, President Trump held a state visit with his left-wing Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, to discuss trade, security, and natural resources. The meeting came amid a rapprochement between the leaders following a period of tensions last year. At a time when the Trump administration has been antagonizing leftist leaders in the Americas, the White House’s about-face toward Brazil is a welcome development.
Lula faces a tough reelection contest in October. He will face a stalwart Trump ally, Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president and far-right rival Jair Bolsonaro. Last August, the Trump administration imposed a 50 percent tariff on a host of Brazilian products on the grounds that the country had violated the elder Bolsonaro’s human rights. The former president was barred from office and sentenced to prison time by Brazil’s Supreme Court over an attempted coup following his 2022 loss to Lula.