By Tiago Lucero
Seven months of delusional diplomacy later, the U.S. government has decided to act. And let it be crystal clear: this is not against Brazil — it’s against Lula. When a president openly challenges the strategic interests of the United States of America, right here in the Western Hemisphere, the response is inevitable. And it doesn’t come in the form of stern warnings. It comes with tariffs, sanctions, political isolation, and—if necessary—far more.
No use sugarcoating or trying to fight geopolitics. The Monroe Doctrine never left the stage — “America for the Americans” has always guided hemispheric relations, and when they say “Americans,” make no mistake: they mean Washington, not Havana. Much less Beijing or Tehran.
Lula believed — and worse, acted on the belief — that he could pull Brazil out of the American sphere of influence and throw it into the arms of the Sino-Russian axis. That’s not exaggeration. It’s a fact. And it was done brazenly, provocatively, almost as a dare.
He welcomed Iranian warships — vessels from a regime that finances international terrorism and is globally sanctioned. He only avoided retaliation because the Biden administration was still trying to wear silk gloves. But Trump is back. And with him, comes realpolitik without anesthetics.
China is already creeping across Brazilian territory like ivy: infiltrating telecoms, ports, farmland, and critical infrastructure. Not as a partner, but as the silent owner of crucial assets tied to our sovereignty. There are even letters of intent involving defense and security. This is not “emerging cooperation” — it’s digital colonialism with a Mandarin accent.
And in diplomacy? Lula has never hidden his affection for dictatorships and contempt for historical allies. He condemned Israel, ignored Hamas’s terrorist attacks, and practically severed relations with Tel Aviv — a direct and vital U.S. ally.
More recently, in the cherry on top of the recklessness cake, the Brazilian government had the nerve to publish an official map showing Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory as part of the Russian Federation. This isn’t a diplomatic blunder. It’s a slap in the face of the West. It’s open alignment with Putin’s geopolitical war against NATO.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the last BRICS summit — hyped as the seed of a new multipolar order — was a flop: hollow, irrelevant, and crushed by reality. Because without military strength, internal unity, or moral leadership, no bloc will ever confront the dollar, the Pentagon, or Wall Street.
In the midst of all this, Lula ignored Trump’s warning on the very first day of his term: ‘The U.S. doesn’t need Brazil — Brazil needs the United States.’ Ignoring that statement made it clear that Lula never understood the weight of hegemony and has always lived off narratives, not facts..
Well, the facts have arrived. Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian steel and aluminum — a direct hit to a vital export artery. And now Lula claims he will respond with “reciprocity.” He won’t. He can’t. He has no leverage, no scale, no currency, no market. He’ll simply make the Brazilian people suffer.
And maybe — just maybe — that’s the plan. Because the victimhood narrative against the evil empire sells headlines. It serves as a smokescreen to hide inflation, unemployment, and rampant corruption. And, of course, it helps revive Bolsonaro as a useful pawn, a spearhead that the Americans now conveniently place back on the board as a warning: either you realign, or we’ll replace you.
Yes, you heard it. The U.S. government will never allow Brazil to become a satellite of China or Russia. Never. This isn’t a conspiracy theory. It’s textbook geopolitics. We’re a food supplier, an energy hub, a geographically strategic location. We will not leave the U.S. sphere of influence without paying a steep price.
Lula believed he could reshape the world order with union hall speeches and Third World summits. He forgot that empires don’t negotiate — empires act.
Now there’s no escape. Either Brazil aligns, or it will be crushed — politically, economically, and, if need be, militarily.
The Brazilian people will bleed. But not because of the Americans. They’ll bleed because they trusted a delusional, suicidal power project.
There is no third geopolitical path for Brazil. There never was. You’re either with the West, or you’re against it. And those who stand against it become war zones or stateless colonies.
