At the UN, Lula criticizes the "extreme right subservient" to the US.
"False patriots are plotting and publicly promoting actions against Brazil," the president emphasized.
247 - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) used the platform of the 80th UN General Assembly, in New York, this Tuesday (23), to defend Brazilian democracy and criticize external influence on the country's political direction. Before heads of state and representatives of more than 190 nations, Lula denounced what he called "interference in internal affairs" and held sectors of the extreme right responsible for acting in a "subservient" way to the United States.
The speech was broadcast by the UN and received international attention for the firmness with which the president linked the crisis of multilateralism to the rise of authoritarian practices and political manipulation within Brazil. "There is no justification for unilateral and arbitrary measures against our institutions and our economy. The attack against the independence of the judiciary is unacceptable," declared Lula, in an alarming tone.
Criticisms of the weakening of multilateralism
Lula began his speech by recalling that the UN was created after World War II as a symbol of the global aspiration for peace and prosperity. However, according to him, the ideals that inspired the creation of the organization are under serious threat. "Multilateralism is facing a new crossroads. The authority of this organization is in check," he stated.
According to the president, the current international order has been marked by "repeated concessions to the politics of power," with arbitrary sanctions, unilateral interventions, and attacks on the sovereignty of independent nations. He also pointed to the direct relationship between the crisis of multilateralism and the weakening of democracy.
"False patriots" and internal attacks
When discussing the political situation in Brazil, Lula highlighted that, despite "unprecedented" attacks against its institutions, the country resisted and reaffirmed its democratic commitment. It was in this context that he directed criticism at the internal opposition, accusing sectors of conspiring against national stability with the support of external interests.
"This interference in internal affairs is aided by a subservient far-right that longs for past hegemonies. False patriots orchestrate and publicly promote actions against Brazil," said the president.
Lula also recalled the recent conviction of a former head of state for attacking the democratic rule of law, highlighting the importance of the process as an example that there will be no impunity. "He was investigated, indicted, and judged in a meticulous process. He had full right to defense, a prerogative that dictatorships deny to their victims," he emphasized.
Democracy as a social commitment
Concluding his speech, Lula stated that democracy cannot be reduced to the electoral process and depends on reducing inequalities and guaranteeing fundamental rights. "Strong democracies go beyond the electoral ritual. Their strength presupposes the reduction of inequalities and the guarantee of the most basic rights: food, security, work, housing, education, and health," he said.
He also drew attention to persistent flaws in Brazilian society, citing violence against women and gender pay inequality as examples of challenges that compromise democratic effectiveness.
In a firm speech filled with political messages, Lula reiterated that Brazilian democracy and sovereignty are non-negotiable and that the country will continue as "an independent nation and a people free from any kind of tutelage."
