Lula defends Brazilian sovereignty at UN General Assembly

During his speech at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended national sovereignty, stating, “Brazil does not fit in anyone’s backyard.”

Lula addressed the geopolitical pressures facing Latin America and the Caribbean, noting that the region faces inescapable proximity to the world's largest military power. He criticized what he described as “hegemonic temptations” and the division of the world into zones of influence.

The President warned against external interference in electoral processes and “neocolonial ventures” aimed at securing strategic resources, specifically referencing recent contexts in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Cuba. He called for greater regional integration and respect for the self-determination of peoples, emphasizing that ideological differences should not prevent neighbors from cooperating for development.