Thursday, July 10

United States President Donald Trump threatened to slam Brazil with a 50% tariff if they refuse to clear all charges on former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been accused of attempting to start a coup.

Bolsonaro, a far-right candidate who assumed the presidency from 2019 to 2023, was known for his anti-Amazon policies that increased deforestation and decreased protections for the rainforest, boosting Brazil's economy but causing irreversible damage to the Amazonian ecosystem. He subsequently lost the 2022 Brazilian election to incumbent President Lula Inacio de Silva, a left-wing candidate working to save the Amazon once again.

In February, Bolsonaro was charged with attempting a coup to take down Lula's government, and the case went to the Supreme Court. Brazil's prosecutor general, Paulo Gonet, charged Bolsonaro of planning major actions to take down Lula's government and restore his power. Gonet claimed that an organization consisting of 33 members, in addition to Bolsonaro, created a dangerous plan by the name of the "Green and Yellow Dagger," referencing the green and yellow colors on the Brazilian flag.

Allegedly, the plan involved attacking government offices, poisoning Lula, and killing Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Justice de Moraes was known for his left-leaning decisions, which often included ordering probes into Bolsonaro's actions.

However, Bolsonaro and his team strongly denied the allegations, and he has maintained close ties with Trump, who is also a prominent right-wing politician.

Now, Trump has threatened to place a staggering 50% tariff on Brazil if they do not clear Bolsonaro of all charges. Brazil currently faces a minimal 10% tariff on all exports to the United States, which is Trump's baseline tariff, and that was not expected to change anytime soon. Brazil is one of the few countries that the US runs a trade surplus with, meaning that the US exports more goods to Brazil than Brazil does to the US.

However, he has confirmed that companies which shift manufacturing to the United States will not face this tariff, as he has done with other countries across the world.

This comes just after Trump announced that he would delay all reciprocal tariffs once again, this time until August 1, and he has adjusted tariff rates for dozens of countries, many of which have been lowered due to actions taken by countries after the threats of tariffs.

Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): The scientific name for the giant anteater is myrmecophaga tridactyla. This literally means "ant eating with three fingers."

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The most important investment you can make is in yourself.

(Raoul Pal)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Simulacrum (noun, sim-yuh-LAK-rum) - A simulacrum is a superficial likeness of something, usually as an imitation, copy, or representation. The plural of simulacrum is either simulacrums or simulacra.

In a Sentence: The surprise still succeeded, thanks to the simulacrum of confusion expressed by two guests when they were spotted before the big moment.