In a letter addressed to Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and dated June 23, Rubio responded to a missive sent earlier in the month by the lawmaker, who had asked him to abandon the tariff proposal, arguing that it would harm the Brazilian economy.

  Furthermore, in that message, the Brazilian presidential hopeful had expressed optimism regarding a potential electoral victory over President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the October elections.

  In his reply, the head of U.S. diplomacy thanked Flavio Bolsonaro for his recent visit to Washington and praised his support for the decision to designate the Brazilian criminal organizations *Primeiro Comando da Capital* and *Comando Vermelho* as terrorist groups, stating that their networks pose a threat to the security of both countries.

  However, Rubio made it clear that there would be no change in Washington’s position, noting that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had determined that certain Brazilian policies and practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and restrict U.S. trade.

  In July of last year, Flavio Bolsonaro publicly supported the tariffs imposed by the United States on Brazil, while his brother Eduardo was lobbying in Washington to pressure the Brazilian government amidst the legal proceedings against their father, former President Jair Bolsonaro.

  Now, three months before the elections in which he intends to seek the presidency, the senator has shifted his stance and aims to prevent new tariffs—a turnaround that analysts and Brazilian media attribute to the potential electoral cost of a measure that would impact the country’s economy.

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