Sao Paulo [Brazil], July 14 (ANI): Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused US President Donald Trump of turning the United States into a “pirate” state after Washington announced plans to charge ships a 20% fee for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints.
The criticism follows Trump’s announcement Monday that the United States would now be known as the “GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and would begin collecting a 20% fee from ships passing through the vital shipping route.
The policy shift comes three weeks after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said no country could charge tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking at a public event in Sao Paulo state on Monday, Lula criticized Trump’s proposal to collect payments from commercial vessels in exchange for keeping the strategic waterway open, according to Al Jazeera.
“President Trump tweeted that he will unblock the Strait of Hormuz. But for every ship… the oil owner must pay him 20 per cent. This used to be considered piracy,” Lula said. “A major nation like the United States… cannot now become a pirate,” the Brazilian president added.
The remarks came hours after Trump announced the new fee and the reinstatement of a naval blockade targeting Iranian ships and vessels trading with Tehran while allowing all other maritime traffic to continue.
Trump’s announcement has renewed scrutiny of comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio less than a month ago.
On June 23, Rubio argued that no country has the legal authority to impose tolls on ships using the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as an international waterway protected under international law.
“No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway,” Rubio said. “That’s existing international law.”
Those remarks appear to conflict directly with Trump’s latest policy, which would require commercial vessels to pay the United States for safe passage through the strait.
Following Trump’s announcement, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization echoed Rubio’s earlier position, saying there is “no legal basis” for imposing mandatory transit fees on ships using international straits.
Lula linked the latest escalation in the Gulf to rising living costs in Brazil, saying higher oil prices have already increased the cost of fuel and everyday essentials, including beans, rice, tomatoes, and onions.
The Brazilian government has introduced temporary measures to cushion consumers from rising fuel prices following the renewed conflict involving Iran, while revenue from a tax on crude oil exports introduced earlier this year is being used to offset part of the economic impact. (ANI)
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