Lula should give Trump message on the UN in a ‘light’ on sovereignty

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) should take advantage of the global hearing of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly to give a message to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, in a speech that will defend sovereignty, democracy and multilateralism, found the Estadão/Broadcast. The tone to be used by the Brazilian should be, however, milder than that adopted in an electoral stage, avoiding direct attacks on the White House boss, despite the current crisis between the two countries.

Lula embarks to New York, in the United States, over the weekend, where he should be up to 24, when he returns to Brazil, according to the scheduled agenda so far. In addition to the UN speech on Tuesday, 23, he will participate in parallel events. On Monday, 22, should follow the opening of New York Climate Week and a meeting promoted by the governments of France and Saudi Arabia about Palestine.

As usual, the Brazilian president opens the speeches of heads of state in the UN on Tuesday. Trump, in turn, should speak in sequence, maintaining a tradition of years in the General Assembly. Given the order of speech and the fact of speaking in the US, interlocutors expect Lula to avoid frontal attacks on the American by defending the sovereignty of countries.

An experienced Brazilian diplomat also notes that after Lula’s article in the The New York Timespublished last Sunday, 14, would be “complicated”, the Brazilian “Beat” in Trump. The Brazilian accused the US government of trying to guarantee “impunity” to former President Jair Bolsonaro through the adoption of tariffs against Brazilian products and sanctions of the magnitsky law.

Behind the scenes, interlocutors say it was considered to avoid a possible meeting between Lula and Trump in the UN corridors due to turbulence in the relationship. Relations worsened after Bolsonaro’s conviction, and Trump government spokesmen threatened Brazil with new sanctions. Among them are the adoption of secondary tariffs because of Russia, although the current level of 50%is already restrictive, suspension of visas of more Brazilian authorities, as well as the extent of the magnitsky law to other ministers who voted in favor of the conviction of Bolsonaro and their families.

The American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, promised a response to the country for the coming days, by giving an interview to FOX NEWSthis Monday. “Therefore, there will be a US response to this, and that’s it – we will have some ads next week or something about which additional measures we want to take,” he said.

In addition, the Trump government is also restricting the granting of visas to the UN General Assembly, which affects the Brazilian entourage, as revealed the Estadão/Broadcast. According to sources, Lula and the first lady Rosângela da Silva, Janja, are visited, and should be maintained despite the fear of some diplomats regarding new US sanctions to Brazil.

At a meeting held in New York last week, the US reported that they were processing the visas of the Brazilian delegation, says a source close to the discussions. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad has already managed to obtain diplomatic visa to enter the country. The request for renewal was in August, already amid the tensions caused by Trump’s tariff.

Another point under discussion is what Lula’s speech will be about the defense of democracy. Government members heard under reserve say they study if, at some point, the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro will be quoted. Estadão/Broadcast found that the reference should not gain prominence, because the discourse aims at the international public, and not only the Brazilian, but Lula must mention that the Brazilian justice recently reacted in defense of the democratic state.

Lula must defend the recognition of the state of Palestine, a recurring theme in his speeches since the beginning of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. It should also reiterate the need for a peaceful solution for war in Ukraine, a position it has maintained since the beginning of the term. The invitation to other countries to the 30th Conference of the UN Convention on Climate Change Convention (COP-30) in Belém, and the protection of the environment must complete the president’s speech at the UN General Assembly.

The day after the UN General Assembly, Lula will preside over a meeting on democracy. The Brazilian president also participates in the summit of nationally determined contributions (NDCs), commitments made by the Paris agreement countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Itamaraty, all bilateral meetings that the Brazilian president will have with heads of state from other countries during his stay in New York are not yet defined. The only agenda already confirmed is the traditional meeting of the Brazilian president with the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, scheduled to take place just before his speech at the opening of the General Assembly.

Once the commitments in New York is closed, the Brazilian president is expected to grant a press conference on Wednesday, 24, to present a balance of the agenda, as stanced by Estadão/Broadcast. Lula’s return to Brazil is expected to occur after the conversation with journalists.