Washington, Nov. 23, 2025 (Lusa) - US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would soon meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and described the arrest of the former Brazilian president and his political ally, Jair Bolsonaro, as "very bad".

Asked by journalists outside the White House, Trump said he had spoken to Lula the night before and believed they would meet soon.

Regarding Bolsonaro's arrest, the US president said he was unaware of it, but after confirmation from journalists, he called it "very bad", according to the Spanish news agency EFE.

The former Brazilian head of state, sentenced in September to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup d'état, was taken into preventive custody this morning at his residence in Brasilia, due, according to the court, to a "concrete" risk of flight and a "threat to public order."

On Thursday, Donald Trump signed a government order reducing tariffs on certain Brazilian products, including beef, vegetables, coffee, and cocoa, by 40% following negotiations with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

As part of his trade war, Trump had imposed a 10% tariff on Brazilian exports and later ordered a 40% increase, bringing the total to 50%, to punish the country for Jair Bolsonaro's conviction for attempted coup after Lula's election victory.

The White House said last week that Trump was reversing some global tariffs originally announced in April, and teams from the US and Brazilian governments have been discussing the issue since the two presidents met in October in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a meeting described as positive by both sides.

Trump's decision comes after Republicans' defeat in several important elections in the United States earlier this month, which has increased the White House's concerns about inflation in the country, fuelled by tariffs, and the high cost of living, according to EFE.

PAL/ADB // ADB.

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