After 14 years, Lula was back at the UN General Assembly. We analyze his speech and what it means to Brazilian foreign relations moving forward
You can think of Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a major recording artist, who's been away for years but is now on a seemingly interminable world tour, including all the biggest festivals.
Before even taking office, as president-elect he was something of a guest of honor at last year's UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt. Then, he embarked on his 2023 roadshow, with trips to Washington D.C., London, Beijing, Paris, Lisbon, Madrid, Tokyo, Brussels, Johannesburg, and many, many more.
And this week, the Lula show rocked up to New York City, giving the opening address at the United Nations General Assembly.
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In this episode:
Cedê Silva is The Brazilian Report's Brasília correspondent and covers politics and international affairs.
Background reading:
In his return to the UN General Assembly after 14 years, Lula pointed the finger at developed nations. His speech did not veer away from his traditional talking points.
Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will hold their first-ever in-person bilateral meeting on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Lula is the perfect example of presidential diplomacy, which involves heads of state conducting foreign policy in person, writes Nick Cleveland-Stout.
Under Lula, Brazil is focusing on South-South relations. However, there are doubts about whether moves to expand BRICS benefit Brazil. The final declaration from the group's last summit ignored one of the country's main diplomatic ambitions.
While it was a key goal of the Bolsonaro government, the new Lula administration does not seem too bothered with pursuing membership in the OECD, also known as a 'club of rich countries.'
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