Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has slammed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the 'mortal enemy' of some Latin American countries in response to the threat of fresh tariffs.
The up-and-down relationship between Washington and Brasilia has soured again, less than a month after a three-hour meeting between Lula and US President Donald Trump that both sides hailed as positive.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative has proposed 25 percent tariffs on Brazilian goods with some exemptions, alleging 'unreasonable acts, policies, and practices' by the Latin American giant.
Lula, 80, said the proposed tariffs came 'while we were still in negotiations' as he and Trump had agreed on a 30-day period to iron out trade issues.
The tariff threat is the second blow to Lula in the wake of his attempt at a conciliatory meeting with Trump, following the US designation of two major Brazilian crime factions as terrorist groups.
A final decision on the tariffs will be taken after a public hearing on July 6.
