In UN speech, Lula defends democracy to combat inequality and multilateralism
The Brazilian president errs by not mentioning Indigenous peoples and by portraying Latin America as a region without conflicts
The Brazilian President ,Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,
United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York City, United States, Tuesday, September 23, 2025. (Photo by VANESSA CARVALHO / Brazil Photo Press via AFP)
On Tuesday morning (23), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva delivered a speech at the opening of the 80th United Nations General Assembly. During his tenth appearance, the Brazilian leader stressed the importance of democracy as a political model that guarantees the rights of all people and not only as a system of government. He drew a direct link between the crisis of multilateralism and the rise of authoritarian regimes around the world.
The president also discussed the resilience of Brazilian institutions in the face of attempts by the United States to interfere in the country’s judiciary and economy, the genocide of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and the need to efficiently and effectively fight climate change.
However, when addressing the latter, Lula failed to mention Indigenous peoples and the forest communities, who have been heavily affected by climate collapse and environmental degradation, while also being historically responsible for socio-environmental protection.
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Lula also described Latin America as a “zone of peace” because there are no ethnic or religious wars. He overlooked the serious conflicts that are causing devastation in a number of countries in the region and exposing their populations – particularly Black and Indigenous communities – to acute social, economic and psychological vulnerability.
Democracy and multilateralism
Lula began his speech by stating the importance of the international community coming together to combat authoritarian and arbitrary regimes and said that there is a parallel to be drawn between the crisis of multilateralism and the rise of anti-democratic forces around the world. The president’s entire speech was framed around a solid defense of democracy and he used the term in a broad sense, directly linked to human rights. “Solid democracies are more than just electoral processes. Their strength involves reducing inequalities and guaranteeing the most basic rights: food; security; employment; housing; education, and healthcare.”
“Strengthening our democracy, as the president points out, is not based solely on free and fair elections and the protection of institutions. There can only be full democracy when this is anchored in the protection of human and socio-environmental rights, addressing racism and other inequalities, and in promoting dignity,” said Júlia Neiva, the Director of the Strengthening Human Rights Movement at Conectas, Júlia Neiva.
Interference by the United States
In one of the most forceful moments of his speech, the president addressed attempts by the United States to interfere in decisions taken by the Brazilian judiciary. “Even under unprecedented attack, Brazil chose to resist and defend its democracy, won back forty years ago by its people after two decades of dictatorial governments,” he said. “Aggression against the independence of the judiciary is unacceptable,” he continued.
Genocide in Gaza
Lula harshly criticized the “ongoing genocide” in the Gaza Strip and said that nothing justifies the death of the Palestinians. “In Gaza, hunger is being used as a weapon of war and the displacement of populations is being carried out with impunity,” he said. “International humanitarian law and the myth of the West’s ethical superiority are also buried there. This massacre would not be happening without the complicity of those who could prevent it,” the president concluded.
Climate change and COP 30
According to President Lula, COP 30, to be held in Belém in November, will be the “COP of truth” and the chance for world leaders to really put into practice the commitments they have made on the issue. The president also made a point of highlighting that wealthy nations bear the greatest share of responsibility for climate collapse. “Developing nations are facing climate change while also struggling with other challenges. Meanwhile, wealthy nations enjoy a standard of living built on two hundred years of emissions,” he warned.
“We hope that COP 30 will be a landmark in the implementation of the Paris Agreement, with greater climate ambition, fair financing and the effective inclusion of Indigenous peoples and vulnerable communities. Conectas believes it is essential that the process be transparent and ensure broad social participation. The president’s speech has created positive expectations, we hope that these promises translate into concrete measures, supported by monitoring mechanisms and the safeguarding of rights, to guarantee a fair and effective transition from the perspective of the Global South,” said João Godoy, Coordinator of the Defending Socio-environmental Rights program at Conectas.
Mention of Indigenous peoples
Although the climate issue was given significant attention in the president’s speech – including reference to reducing deforestation in Brazil – Lula did not mention the situation of the Indigenous peoples and the traditional communities at all. Although some measures have been adopted during his administration, including in the Amazon region, these communities continue to suffer from deforestation, violence, illegal mining, invasions of their land, the slow pace of the demarcation process and the severe deterioration of living conditions caused by these problems.
“In recent years, we have seen government initiatives that further undermine the rights of Indigenous peoples, such as the enactment of Law 14.701 and the subsequent debates. Although this issue is not the exclusive responsibility of the Executive Branch, a firm and assertive stance from the government is essential in addressing ongoing violations and to underline the central position of the Indigenous peoples in the climate and human rights agenda,” said Godoy.
Latin America without conflicts
The Brazilian president stated that maintaining the region as a “zone of peace” is a government priority. Although Lula was referring to ethnic and religious conflicts as wars in the most traditional sense of the term, the speech, as it was delivered, minimized the serious conflicts of various kinds that cause instability, insecurity, and claim the lives of thousands of Latin Americans. Key examples include the public security crises affecting countries such as Brazil, Mexico and El Salvador, as well as racism against Black and Indigenous people throughout the region and increasingly violent incidents of religious intolerance in Brazil.
