Joana Mortágua, former member of the Bloco de Esquerda in a previous legislature, took to her social media to criticize the US government after it launched a trade investigation against Brazil, in which PIX, a system akin to Portugal’s MBWay, is a focal point.
“US big tech companies are annoyed with Brazilian electronic payment methods and judicial decisions against illegal content on social media. Since the government doesn’t submit, and courts don’t accept foreign orders, Trump is now targeting PIX”, she wrote on Twitter.
Mortágua further noted that Brazil “is the second largest credit card market globally and one of the main users of WhatsApp, which has its own payment method.”
“The dispute is total: both political and commercial”, she added.
“The Brazilian far-right promised servile submission to US interests. Trump is collecting. Bolsonaro is left to bury ‘patriotism’ with the COVID dead, once the gravedigger…”, she also remarked.
As big techs dos eua estão irritadinhas com os meios de pagamento electrónicos brasileiros e as decisões judiciais contra conteúdos ilegais nas redes sociais. Como o governo não se submete e os tribunais não aceitam ordens estrangeiras, Trump atirou agora contra o PIX (MbWay BR)
— Joana Mortágua (@JoanaMortagua) July 18, 2025
A extrema direita brasileira prometeu submissão servil aos interesses norte-americanos. Trump está a cobrar. Resta a Bolsonaro enterrar o “patriotismo” com os mortos do COVID, um vez coveiro…
— Joana Mortágua (@JoanaMortagua) July 18, 2025
The Trump administration has opened a commercial investigation against Brazil, citing the PIX system—an electronic payment and transfer system similar to MBWay—as one of the reasons. The United States labeled the electronic payment system as “an unfair practice”. However, Brazilian President Lula da Silva has declared he will not give up PIX.
This investigation follows an announcement by US President Donald Trump of 50% tariffs on imported Brazilian goods.
In a letter sent to the Brazilian government last week, Trump claimed the trade relationship between Brazil and the US is “very unfair,” marred by imbalances caused by “tariff and non-tariff policies and Brazil’s trade barriers.”
The US leader also accused Brazil of how it has treated former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is being tried in the Supreme Federal Court for an alleged coup attempt following his defeat in the 2022 elections to the current Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
According to the Brazilian Federal Public Ministry, Bolsonaro and seven other defendants in the Supreme Court trial are charged with “attempted coup d’état,” “armed criminal organization,” “attempted violent repression of the democratic rule of law,” “qualified damage through severe violence or threat,” and “damage to protected heritage.”
Brazil stated today that it awaits a response to a bilateral trade negotiation proposal sent to Washington in May and reiterated its indignation at the US decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian products.
Lusa | 17:25 – 16/07/2025
