Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has defended the trial which saw his predecessor in office, Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for plotting a coup. In an opinion piece published in the New York Times, Lula dismissed the description by US President Donald Trump of the trial as a 'witch hunt', saying that it was a 'historic decision which safeguards our institutions and the democratic rule of law'. The Brazilian leader said he had written the essay to establish an open and frank dialogue with US President Donald Trump, who has imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports. Lula called the tariff hike 'not only misguided but illogical'. Relations have been tense between the US and Brazil in recent months, in stark contrast to the times when Trump's counterpart in Brazil was Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro often expressed his admiration for Trump, who hosted him at his Mar-a Lago resort in 2020. Lula, a left-wing leader, who is known for his direct tone, did not mince his words in his New York Times editorial. He said that over the past 15 years the US had 'accumulated a surplus of $410bn (£302bn) in bilateral trade in goods and services', adding the decision to impose the tariffs could only be political. Lula also rejected the Trump administration's accusations that Brazil's justice system had targeted and censored US tech firms, asserting that his country's courts were right to regulate the internet. He concluded his essay by addressing President Trump directly, telling him that Brazil remains open to negotiating 'anything that can bring mutual benefits', but warned that 'Brazil's democracy and sovereignty are not on the table'.