Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, has launched an impassioned defence of his country’s democracy, claiming the recent conviction of his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had shown the world how “would-be autocrats” could be brought to heel.
Speaking at the opening of the United Nations general assembly in New York, Lula hailed Brazil’s successful effort to repel “an unprecedented attack” from Bolsonaro’s extreme right movement. On 11 September, the former paratrooper was sentenced to 27 years in jail for trying to stage a military coup after he lost the 2022 election to Lula.
But the South American leftist warned the global threat persisted. “All around the world, anti-democratic forces are trying to subjugate institutions and suffocate freedoms. They worship violence, glorify ignorance, act as physical and digital militias, and restrict the press,” Lula said.
In an unmistakable but indirect reference to the Trump administration, Lula slammed foreign attempts to meddle in Bolsonaro’s recent trial with a pressure campaign of tariffs and “arbitrary sanctions”.
US-Brazil relations have foundered in the lead up to the annual summit, with the US president slapping 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports as a result of what he called the “political execution” of his rightwing ally.
Twenty-four hours before Lula’s speech Trump officials announced new sanctions against Brazilian authorities, revoking the visas of the country’s attorney general, Jorge Messias, and six other officials. It also hit the wife of Alexandre de Moraes, a supreme court judge who presided over Bolsonaro’s trial, with Magnitsky sanctions usually used to punish the perpetrators of major human rights abuses such as war crimes or torture.
“Let this be a warning to others who threaten US interests by protecting and enabling foreign actors like Moraes: you will be held accountable,” tweeted , Marco Rubio, the secretary of state.
Lula hit back at the UN, telling delegates: “There is no justification for unilateral and arbitrary measures against our institutions and our economy. Aggression against the independence of the judiciary is unacceptable.”
Speaking immediately after Lula, Trump accused Brazil of “censorship, repression … judicial corruption and [the] targeting of political critics”. But, unexpectedly, the US president left the door open to a reconciliation with his South American counterpart, who he ran into when arriving at the UN headquarters. “I saw him, he saw me and we embraced,” Trump said of Lula.
“We had a good talk and we agreed to meet next week … at least for about 39 seconds we had excellent chemistry – it’s a good sign,” added Trump, who made no mention of Bolsonaro in his speech.
The US pressure campaign has so far failed to save Bolsonaro’s skin. The 70-year-old politician is under house arrest and is expected to be taken into custody before the end of the year, with a maximum security jail in the capital Brasília one possible destination.
On Monday, Brazil’s government voiced “profound indignation” over the latest US sanctions, calling them an insult to “a democracy that successfully defended itself against an attempted coup d’état” and to “201 years of friendship” between the two nations.
Huge pro-democracy protests on Sunday, where leftwing protesters denounced US interference and burned a US flag, appear to have further damaged Bolsonaro’s hopes of securing an amnesty that might help him avoid jail.
Trump’s pressure campaign also appears to have boosted Lula’s chances of winning a historic fourth term in next year’s election. Lula’s sagging approval ratings have rebounded in recent weeks, with the leftwing veteran positioning himself as a flag-waving patriot fending off the gringo threat.
“Before the eyes of the world, Brazil sent a message to all would-be autocrats and those who support them. Our democracy and our sovereignty are non-negotiable,” Lula, 79, told the UN assembly to applause.
In another indirect swipe at Trump, Lula criticised the recent US attacks on Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean, which have killed at least 17 people. “Using lethal force in situations that do not constitute armed conflicts amounts to executing people without a judgment,” Lula said, calling for the region to remain “a zone of peace”.
