PARANA, Brazil — Supporters of Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, took to the streets in Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach, demanding amnesty.
Bolsonaro is on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup to stay in office, with the country’s supreme court ordering him on house arrest.
A 50% tariff on certain Brazilian products went into effect last week in defense of Bolsonaro, and Americans could feel the effects in their next cups of coffee.
Brazil’s coffee industry was stunned by the Trump tariffs on the country’s most important U.S. export.
Growers, processors, distributors are already balancing price increases post-pandemic, and production hampered by climate changes. Now they must also start bean-counting what damage U.S. tariffs may bring.
“Were planning on expanding here locally, cutting costs becoming more competitive,” said coffee roaster Marco Franck. “That’s all you can do.”
Unlike other countries getting tariffs levied against them, Brazil has a trade surplus with the U.S. so a lot of people there are asking why.
“Because of the position of the government right now,” said coffee farmer Marcel Shiome.
The tariffs on Brazil is about politics, not trade balance, intentions Trump does not hide.
Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, is charged in a coup attempt after losing reelection in 2022. He’s been sanctioned and censored on social media by Brazil’s supreme court justice.
Trump calls it a witch hunt and says moves by Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, are anti-American.
Lula da Silva has been defiant, forging alliances with U.S. adversaries.
“I hope this can be solved very quickly because our companies and our businessmen will suffer a lot,” said Nicole Muller with International Relations for the state of Parana, Brazil.
And so will the people.
“It’s all very blurry, we don’t know the end game or intentions,” said Franck.
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