The government is banking on Mauro Vieira's diplomatic relationship with Marco Rubio to unlock trade with the US.
Brazil's Foreign Minister is seen as a key player in the dialogue with Washington following a phone call between Lula and Donald Trump.
247 - One of the main strategies of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government to bring Brazil closer to the United States involves the personal and diplomatic relationship between Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. The Foreign Minister is considered in Brasília a reliable bridge for negotiating with the administration of Donald Trump, the current president of the United States, especially after the recent increase in tariffs imposed on Brazilian exports.
According to a report published by the Estadão newspaper, Lula's aides believe that the bond between Vieira and Rubio was strengthened during a private meeting held in July, shortly after Trump announced the so-called "tariff hike" and criticized the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro in the Supreme Federal Court (STF). Sources from the Presidential Palace understand that the meeting only occurred due to the level of trust established between the two diplomats.
The Brazilian government's internal assessment is that Rubio, despite his conservative background and having been personally chosen by Trump, is seen as a "professional" interlocutor, willing to follow the White House's guidelines and maintain an open diplomatic channel with Brazil.
The phone call between Lula and Trump, which took place on Monday the 6th, was considered an important step towards re-establishing direct dialogue between the two countries. Even so, the Planalto Palace acknowledges that the process of rebuilding mutual trust will be long and will require gestures from both sides.
Celso Amorim downplays potential tensions.
The Special Advisor to the Presidency for International Affairs, Celso Amorim, former Foreign Minister and close associate of Lula, stated that Rubio's appointment does not worry the Brazilian government. "It doesn't worry us," Amorim declared to [the source]. EstadãoThe statement was interpreted as a sign that the Presidential Palace intends to conduct the negotiations calmly, avoiding public controversies with Washington.
The role of the Supreme Court and Trump's influence.
Within the Supreme Federal Court, some view the choice of Marco Rubio with caution, given that the American judge had previously criticized Justice Alexandre de Moraes by name following Jair Bolsonaro's conviction for attempted coup. Nevertheless, members of the Court emphasize that the final decision on sanctions and tariffs will rest with Trump, who has shown a willingness to negotiate.
Despite previous criticisms of the Brazilian government, the President of the United States has adopted a more pragmatic tone in his latest statements about the country, which is interpreted in Brasília as a positive sign. The expectation is that, with Mauro Vieira's mediation and the direct channel between Lula and Trump, the commercial dialogue between the two countries can advance gradually and strategically.
