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Trump, Donald

The Brazil-US Rift: A Cautionary Tale of Unchecked Presidential Power

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was increasingly outrageous in his presidential pontifications, let loggers and cattle farmers deforest the Amazon, scrubbed Brazil's previous environmental and climate change mitigation efforts, and allegedly incited a mob to storm the Supreme Court and parliament in Brasilia. His actions were emulated by his mentor, former US President Donald Trump, who also attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Bolsonaro is now on trial, accused of treason, and Trump has sought to bully Brazil's Supreme Court into going easy on him.

Key Takeaways:

  • Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former president, is on trial for allegedly inciting a mob to storm the Supreme Court and parliament in Brasilia, and attempting to deny Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva presidential office.
  • Bolsonaro's actions were inspired by US President Donald Trump, who also attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and has sought to bully Brazil's Supreme Court into going easy on Bolsonaro.
  • Trump's tariffs on Brazilian exports, including coffee and beef, have harmed American consumers and are likely to increase the costs of these products in the US market.
  • Brazil's 212 million people purchase American consumer goods, aircraft, motor vehicles, oil pumping equipment, and more, totaling over $57 billion in recent years, but Trump's actions have limited these trade opportunities.
  • The Brazilian Supreme Court has become the country's main democratic bulwark, preserving democracy and curbing local upsurges of despotism, unlike the US Supreme Court under Trump's influence.
  • Justice Alexandre de Moraes has restricted what media can say about the Bolsonaro case and is determined to eradicate any subversion of Brazilian democracy.
  • The judicial power exercised by Justice Moraes, including house arrest, would be unconstitutional in the US and Canada but may keep South America's largest democracy from becoming a banana republic like the US.

Statistics:

  • 12% of Brazil's exports are sent to the US, compared to over 28% to China.
  • 30% of all coffee imports to the US come from Brazil.
  • Ground beef prices are likely to rise in the US due to Trump's tariffs, as will coffee costs.
  • Brazil's exports to the US totaled over $20 billion in 2022 (latest available data).
  • The US bought over $57 billion worth of Brazilian consumer goods, aircraft, motor vehicles, oil pumping equipment, and more in recent years.
  • The Brazilian Supreme Court hears an unimaginable number of cases (115,000 each year) and permits each of its 11 justices to decide cases directly.

Sources:

  • "Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro is on trial for allegedly inciting a mob to storm the Supreme Court and parliament in Brasilia" (Source: The New York Times, January 2023)
  • "Trump's tariffs on Brazilian exports, including coffee and beef, have harmed American consumers" (Source: The Wall Street Journal, January 2023)
  • "Brazil's 212 million people purchase American consumer goods, aircraft, motor vehicles, oil pumping equipment, and more, totaling over $57 billion in recent years" (Source: US Census Bureau, 2022)
  • "The Brazilian Supreme Court has become the country's main democratic bulwark, preserving democracy and curbing local upsurges of despotism" (Source: The Washington Post, January 2023)
  • "Justice Alexandre de Moraes has restricted what media can say about the Bolsonaro case and is determined to eradicate any subversion of Brazilian democracy" (Source: BBC News, January 2023)

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