Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had just returned to his office from a meeting with Indonesia’s prime minister when the reports began blaring on TV.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday slammed Donald Trump's threat to impose 50 percent tariffs on Latin America's largest economy as "unacceptable blackmail."In his speech, leftist leader Lula slammed Brazilian politicians who back Trump's policies as "traitors to the homeland.