Ronaldo Caiado, the presidential candidate for the PSD, criticized President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro over U.S. tariff threats.
This clash highlights the tension among Brazil's political elite as they navigate trade relations with the United States ahead of the October 2026 presidential election. The dispute centers on the "tarifaço," a series of tariffs that could impact the Brazilian economy.
Speaking during an event in Brasília and in an interview on the Flow Podcast on July 8 [1], Caiado said that President Lula had acted to "provocar" Trump [1]. He said that the current administration's posture toward the U.S. president was counterproductive to Brazil's national interests.
Caiado also targeted Senator Flávio Bolsonaro regarding the senator's proposal to postpone the implementation of the tariffs until after the election. Caiado said this specific proposal was "inaceitável" [2].
He characterized the senator's approach as an "ajoelhamento" — or kneeling — before the U.S. administration [1]. Caiado said that voting for the senator would be equivalent to electing Lula, suggesting that both approaches to the tariff crisis are flawed.
The PSD candidate maintained that Brazil requires a more assertive and stable diplomatic strategy to handle the trade threats. He said that political maneuvers intended to delay economic impacts for electoral gain do not solve the underlying diplomatic friction between the two nations [3].
““Provocar” Trump”
Caiado is positioning himself as a third-way alternative in the 2026 election by distancing himself from both the current administration and the Bolsonarismo movement. By framing Lula as reckless and Flávio Bolsonaro as submissive, he aims to present himself as the only candidate capable of managing complex international relations with the U.S. without compromising Brazilian sovereignty or economic stability.
