Renan Santos, founder of MBL and Missão pre-candidate, stated that the 25% tariff imposed by Donald Trump on Brazilian products resulted from Lula's inaction and Flávio Bolsonaro's incompetence in negotiations.
In statements published on Wednesday, Santos called Flávio's participation in the previous week's USTR hearing ridiculous. He said he would have negotiated more effectively with the US government.
Santos highlighted US interest in rare earths and said Brazil would have something to offer in a negotiation. The minerals are on the list of strategic exemptions for critical commodities, alongside beef, coffee and fruits.
In the Genial/Quaest poll released on Wednesday, before the tariff announcement, Santos registered 3% of voting intentions in the first round. Lula led with 40%, followed by Flávio with 28%.