File photo: US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Lula da Silva (Picture credit: AP, PTI)
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Wednesday that he was pleasantly surprised by his first-ever encounter with US President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly, describing it as having “some chemistry” despite months of tensions between the two largest economies in the Americas.The brief meeting occurred Tuesday when Lula was leaving the podium after delivering his speech and Trump was walking in. “I saw him, he saw me, and we embraced,” Trump told the assembly. “We didn’t have much time to talk, like about 20 seconds. … We had a good talk, and we agreed to meet next week”, he added. According to news agency AP, Lula confirmed the exchange, noting Trump appeared “very friendly, very pleasant, and I think that indeed there was some chemistry there.”The encounter comes after months of strained relations following US tariffs and sanctions targeting Brazil over the arrest and conviction of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup. Trump has criticised Brazil’s handling of Bolsonaro’s case, citing “censorship, repression and targeting of political critics in the United States,” and imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian exports.Lula stressed that while trade and investment issues could be discussed, Brazil’s sovereignty and the independence of its judicial system remain non-negotiable. “What cannot be discussed is Brazil’s sovereignty and democracy and the work of its judges and judicial system,” he said, adding that negotiations should be “a win-win agreement” for both countries.As per Reuters, Trump described Lula as “a very nice man” and said, “He seemed like a very nice man … At least for about 39 seconds, we had excellent chemistry. It’s a good sign”. The remarks boosted Brazilian markets, with the real gaining around 1% against the US dollar and the Bovespa stock index hitting an all-time high.The brief meeting follows a fiery speech by Lula at the UN, where he criticised unilateral US actions, including tariffs, visa restrictions, and financial sanctions, which he said were unfairly imposed due to Bolsonaro’s conviction.Lula emphasised the importance of dialogue, saying, “I don’t know how many politicians in the world actually believe in human relations as I do, but everything can be sorted out when two people talk”.Lula also noted a personal rapport with Trump, pointing out their approaching 80th birthdays and signalling that both leaders could engage respectfully without political games. “I’m going to treat him with the respect that he deserves as the president of the US, and he’s going to treat me with the respect that the president of the Federal Republic of Brazil deserves”.
