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U.S. President Donald Trump said helium had bully talks with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva astatine the White House connected Thursday (May 7, 2026), hailing the "very dynamic" person contempt erstwhile tensions with his ideological opposite.
Leftist Mr. Lula, 80, and right-winger Mr. Trump, 79, person clashed earlier implicit everything from tariffs to Mr. Trump's bid to exert U.S. dominance implicit the Americas.
But they person worked to hide the hatchet successful caller months — not slightest arsenic Mr. Lula seeks to boost his representation astatine location up of choky elections successful October.
"Just concluded my gathering with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the precise dynamic President of Brazil. We discussed galore topics, including Trade and, specifically, Tariffs. The gathering went precise well," Mr. Trump said connected his Truth Social network.
The gathering was owed to beryllium unfastened to the property but ended up happening down closed doors.
"Our Representatives are scheduled to get unneurotic to sermon definite cardinal elements. Additional meetings volition beryllium scheduled implicit the coming months, arsenic necessary," Mr. Trump's station added.
Mr. Trump deed Brazil with steep tariffs connected each its products successful July arsenic punishment for what helium called a "witch hunt" against his far-right ally, erstwhile president Jair Bolsonaro.
Mr. Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year situation condemnation for an attempted coup.
Mr. Lula, who erstwhile said that Mr. Trump wants to beryllium "emperor of the World," took a strong, nationalist basal against the economical measures.
He has besides slammed the U.S. removal of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and the warfare it launched alongside Israel against Iran.
But relations appeared to lukewarm aft Mr. Trump met Mr. Lula successful Malaysia past year, and aft they had a bid of calls, with Mr. Trump astatine 1 constituent hailing their "excellent chemistry."
Both seasoned leaders are known for their agelong and rambling nationalist discourses, contempt being astatine other ends of the governmental spectrum.
The U.S. tariffs person since been partially reduced, easing tensions betwixt the 2 biggest economies successful the Americas.
'Personal rapport'
Mr. Lula nevertheless headed to the gathering politically weakened aft a bid of defeats successful the Brazilian Congress. He is tied with Mr. Bolsonaro's eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, successful sentiment polls up of the election.
The seasoned leftist is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive word successful office.
Oliver Stuenkel, an planetary relations prof astatine the Getulio Vargas Foundation successful Sao Paulo, told AFP that Mr. Lula volition privation to "strengthen the idiosyncratic rapport with Trump" to trim the hazard of U.S. interference successful the elections, specified arsenic overt displays of enactment for Mr. Flavio.
Security is the main interest of Brazilian voters up of the vote, and combating organised transgression was precocious connected the docket of the gathering with Mr. Trump.
Finance Minister Dario Durigan, portion of the delegation, said Wednesday (May 6, 2026) that Brazil wanted to grow practice successful warring cartels.
The 2 governments successful April signed a woody to stock accusation to combat arms and cause trafficking, specified arsenic X-ray information connected containers traveling from the United States to Brazil.
Mr. Trump has made the combat against alleged "narcoterrorism" a precedence of his 2nd term, designating large cartels arsenic overseas violent organisations and utilizing it to warrant the ouster of Mr. Maduro.
Also up for treatment were Brazil's immense reserves of uncommon world minerals — important for the accumulation of high-tech goods — which Washington is scrambling to put in.
The state holds the second-largest reserves of the captious elements successful the satellite aft China.
Late connected Wednesday (May 6, 2026), Brazilian lawmakers precocious a measure that would incentivise mineral exploitation. It volition adjacent beryllium debated successful the Senate.
Washington is besides investigating Brazil for unfair commercialized practices, specified arsenic whether the country's escaped PIX physics outgo strategy is undermining the competitiveness of U.S. companies.
