BRASILIA - Brazil is a "sovereign country" and Brazilians are "masters of our own destiny," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday in a message addressed to his US counterpart Donald Trump.

The statement came a day after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the United States will not hesitate to use economic and military might to defend "freedom of expression," when she was asked about the ongoing trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

In response, Lula said: "If Trump comes, we will have to show him this panel so he can see it and compare it with the American panel. So he knows that we believe in ourselves. We are a sovereign country and we are masters of our own destiny. This is a demonstration of Brazilian competence in all areas."

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On July 30, the Trump administration announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 50 percent on Brazilian exports and sanction Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice. Moraes oversaw the case against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of attempting to seize power following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.