The BRICS group began their first summit in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday since the forum was expanded to eleven members, amid tensions generated by the trade war unleashed by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and by the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the host of the summit and in charge of its opening, called on people to not remain “indifferent” to Israel's “genocide” in Gaza, said that postponing UN Security Council reform makes the world more dangerous every day, and criticized the increase in defense spending by the countries that make up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Trump tariffs in the spotlight

The forum's annual meeting in Rio, which brings together the heads of state of 14 countries, including members, associates, and guests, began marked by the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and by the online participation of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. A draft declaration released yesterday indicates that the summit is called to reject Donald Trump's unilateral tariffs and protectionism, although its members will be careful not to directly name the US president.

The meeting began just three days before the deadline set by Trump to reach trade agreements with interested countries before a historic increase in tariffs to place products in the world's largest economy. In the specific case of the BRICS, Trump has also threatened to impose additional tariffs of 100% if emerging economies take measures that challenge the dollar's hegemony in international trade. If we don't find a new formula, we will end the 21st century as we began the 20th, said Lula da Silva.