Rubio Faces Growing Criticism from Latin American Leaders Amid US-Brazil Tariff Dispute

Latin American officials have publicly denounced U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accusing him of undermining their nations. Former Colombian president Gustavo Petro suggested Rubio plotted to imprison him, while Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro warned that Rubio would leave him with “blood on his hands.” Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called Rubio a “bolsonarista,” an “anti-Latin American,” and blamed him for a 25% tariff on most Brazilian goods imposed by President Donald Trump after a Section 301 probe.

Rubio replied on X, asserting that Lula’s economic policies damage both U.S. and Brazilian consumers and that Brazil has not negotiated in good faith. The tariff, which excludes items like beef and coffee, follows a year-long investigation that also touched on intellectual-property and digital-payment issues. Diplomatic friction escalated when the United States revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti after Brazil delayed approval of Trump’s nominee, Florida state Representative Daniel Perez. The controversy unfolds as Lula seeks re-election in October, with opposition figures such as Flávio Bolsonaro gaining ground.