Trump puts economy above ideology, says Rubens Barbosa

I think if Trump decided to meet Lula for stimulating American and Brazilian companies, the agenda will be this, it will be a commercial agenda. There will be no other charges. And then, yes, the United States are interested and we are interested. We are interested, above all, in this issue of big techs. I think this meeting will be focused on the big techs issue. In the commercial area, what will happen will be that the United States will and perhaps release some products that interest him, not because of our management, but because it matters to it. I think the picture is positive and I think we will advance and unlock these commercial negotiations.
Rubens Barbosa

> For the former editor, Bolsonaro and the ideological side must be out of the negotiating table

The state department’s philosophy is ideological against leftist governments here in the region. So, it goes from Cuba, passing by Venezuela, Nicaragua, Colombia, to Brazil. Now, as I said too, Trump is what you mentioned, and he put his personal interests and the United States above ideology. I do not rule out, I have no information, but I do not rule out that behind this meeting are the big techs there, influencing together. So today the world has changed. What matters is the interests of countries. There is the ideological interest, the ideological interest continues, the situation there in Venezuela can deteriorate, in Cuba can deteriorate, whatever. But what prevails within American strategy is the American national interest. And today, as far as I understand, this trump gesture represents it. He is advocating the interest of US companies, the American economy, before ideology, as he is doing with China, he is doing with Vietnam and other countries.

Rubens Barbosa

Barbosa points out that the pressure of conservative allies and sanctions had a limited effect on the need to preserve business with Brazil, especially in technology and export.

I do not rule out the possibility of these actions (tariff) continues because of ideology. But in the technical area, in the commercial area, what will prevail will be this understanding. So the issue of Eduardo Bolsonaro, now with the president’s conversation, the two presidents, will have a different view. What was in the letter (from the tariff) was magnified here in Brazil because of the rates, because of the sanctions, because of the political action there in the United States. But I never considered this to be the focal point of American interest and now it has been shown that it is not.
Rubens Barbosa