The Pacto pela Democracia coalition has issued a public statement in response to the sweeping tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. The organizations signing the statement argue that this is an attempt to “bend the Brazilian State through economic force” and that Trump’s move seeks to intimidate, “through commercial blackmail, all those who dare to confront authoritarians around the world.”

In recent days, two serious and interconnected developments have placed Brazilian democracy under international attack: President Donald Trump’s letter to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, threatening to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian exports, and a video released by Eduardo Bolsonaro, in which he claimed a central role in coordinating these sanctions with Republican lawmakers and the U.S. government itself. In return for lifting the tariffs, he demanded that the Brazilian National Congress grant a “general, broad, and unrestricted amnesty” to the criminals who plotted and carried out the attempted coup of January 8, 2023. Together, these two developments amount to an anti-democratic ultimatum: through deadlines, demands, and threats, they seek to bend the Brazilian State through economic force.

The motivations behind this attack are revealing: the prospect of Bolsonaro and others involved in the attempted coup being held legally accountable; progress in court proceedings concerning the regulation of Big Tech companies in Brazil; and judicial decisions defending the integrity of the electoral system. This is a declaration of retaliation against democracy. It is an attack on Brazil’s sovereign right to hold accountable, under its own laws and through its own institutions, those who attempted to overthrow the democratic rule of law. It is also an attempt to interfere in and influence the 2026 electoral process from abroad.

Trump’s move is an attempt to intimidate, through commercial blackmail, all those who dare to confront authoritarians around the world. His letter is not an isolated act, but the result of persistent coordination between the Brazilian and international far right. Self-proclaimed “patriots,” Eduardo Bolsonaro and his allies have openly acted against national sovereignty, mobilizing foreign networks to protect their own interests, evade justice, and sow electoral instability. Many of them are doing so with public funds and from outside Brazil.

Given the seriousness of these events, we demand that those responsible for these efforts be thoroughly investigated under Brazilian law. If the investigations confirm unlawful conduct, they must be held accountable. Acts of conspiracy against national sovereignty, attempts to intimidate democratic institutions, and cooperation with foreign governments to harm the country cannot be normalized.

Sovereignty, justice, and democracy are not bargaining chips. They are non-negotiable foundations of every free nation. Trump’s declaration of a trade war, supported by extremist sectors in Brazil, is an attack not only on Brazil, but on democracy around the world. Pacto pela Democracia reaffirms its permanent and unwavering commitment to defending democracy, national sovereignty, and the rule of law. We will remain vigilant, united, and active, in Brazil and around the world, against any attempt to intimidate freedom and justice.

Democracy must be defended. Sovereignty must be protected. Authoritarianism must be confronted.

Signatories to this statement:

  1. Agência Ambiental Pick-upau
  2. Aláfia Lab
  3. Aliança Nacional LGBTI+
  4. Associação Nacional da Carreira de Desenvolvimento de Políticas Sociais (Andeps)
  5. Brazil Office Alliance
  6. CENTRO DE DEFESA DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS DE PETRÓPOLIS
  7. Clima de Política
  8. Elas no Poder
  9. Escola da Democracia
  10. FADDH – Frente Ampla Democrática pelos Direitos Humanos
  11. Girl Up Brasil
  12. INESC – Instituto de Estudos Socioeconômicos
  13. Instituto da Democracia em Xeque
  14. Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Baiano – IDSB
  15. Instituto Lamparina
  16. Instituto Sou da Paz
  17. Instituto Talanoa
  18. Nossas
  19. Observatório Social de Mato Grosso
  20. Plataforma Justa
  21. PNBE – Pensamento Nacional das Bases Empresariais
  22. ponteAponte
  23. Sleeping Giants Brasil
  24. Transparência Eleitoral Brasil