Lula calls US Cuba embargo ‘collective punishment’ of 10 million
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the opening of the 81st U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, marking his tenth opening of the General Debate since first taking the U.N. podium in 2003. In a Portuguese-language text his office posted on X, Lula described the present as the most critical moment for the United Nations since he first addressed the body more than two decades ago. His address framed Latin America and the Caribbean as facing renewed “hegemonic temptations” and called for greater Latin American integration. Lula did not name the United States in the portions of his remarks the source quoted in English.
“Brazil doesn’t fit in anyone’s back yard,” Lula said, a line his office circulated widely on social media. He said countries of the region must determine their own political futures, arguing that “Venezuelans must decide their destiny without foreign interference,” while also criticizing Nicaragua for what he characterized as preventing opposition participation in elections. He also addressed Haiti’s humanitarian crisis as part of his regional survey.
On Cuba, Lula condemned the U.S. economic embargo and what he described as an energy blockade of the island. “In Cuba, the world watches in dismay as 10 million people face collective punishment from an illegal economic embargo and energy siege,” Lula said. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez thanked Lula in a post on X, saying the Brazilian president had denounced what Rodríguez described as an illegal economic and energy blockade of Cuba by the U.S. government.
Lula also rejected foreign involvement in Brazil’s domestic security operations, particularly the fight against organized crime. “We don’t need aircraft carriers protecting our waters,” he said. “We need cooperation to stop the flow of weapons and money that fuels organized crime.” He said Brazil had presented the United States with a proposal for cooperation against money laundering by Brazilian criminal organizations operating abroad.
The Brazilian leader also warned of disinformation campaigns ahead of Brazil’s elections. “We will not allow enemies of democracy, whether domestic or foreign, to undermine the popular will,” Lula said. “Brazil will remain a sovereign country. No one will divert us from this path.” He criticized the use of tariffs as instruments of coercion and blackmail, remarks that come amid continuing trade tensions with Washington.
The address follows months of strained Brazil-U.S. relations. In July, Brazil’s government warned that the Trump administration’s designation of the Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations could create risks to Brazilian sovereignty, including the possibility of U.S. military action, UPI reported. The dispute came amid broader tensions over trade and domestic politics, with Lula accusing Washington of interfering in Brazil’s affairs after the United States imposed new tariffs and sanctions linked in part to the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The United States imposed a 25 percent tariff on most Brazilian imports, prompting Lula’s government to begin procedures under Brazil’s Economic Reciprocity Law. Brazil formally launched that process in August while continuing negotiations with Washington.
Lula’s broader message called for ideological differences to not prevent greater integration among Latin American countries and for international partnerships focused on development rather than political interference.