São Paulo — In his opening address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday (22) in New York, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and settlements in the West Bank. Lula also said he is driven by a sense of indignation and that the UN’s ability to defend the most vulnerable “has never been so limited.”
“The Strait of Hormuz has become a trench in the war, when it should remain a vital passage for international trade. Families around the world are paying the price through higher fuel, fertilizer and food costs,” the Brazilian president said. Due to the conflict in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz has been closed on several occasions, resulting in higher prices for oil, refined products and fertilizers, an essential input for agriculture on which Brazil is heavily dependent.
Lula also criticized the ongoing conflicts. He said generations of Palestinians will carry “the pain and trauma” caused by the genocide in Gaza. “Illegal settlements in the West Bank are making a two-state solution, essential for Israelis and Palestinians to live in security, increasingly unviable,” he said.
In other parts of his speech, Lula, without naming the United States, criticized the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and said Brazil needs partners with a positive agenda that promotes development.
Other parts of his address to the UN covered violence, the need to regulate Big Tech and environmental protection. Regarding rare earths, of which Brazil has the world’s second-largest reserves, he said they should be developed for the benefit of the Brazilian people and generate wealth within the country.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
