World leaders gather in New York next week for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, against a backdrop of ongoing wars and open disputes among major powers. By tradition, Brazil speaks first. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, of the Workers' Party, takes the podium on Tuesday (22) and is expected to use the address to defend the principle that foreign countries must not interfere in other nations' domestic affairs, according to a briefing on Wednesday (16) by Brazil's foreign ministry, the Itamaraty.
The theme was confirmed by Ambassador Carlos Márcio Cozendey, the ministry's secretary for multilateral political affairs, at a press conference in Brasília. He said he also expected a strong defense of multilateralism, "given the moment of the government" and the escalation of international conflicts, as reported by Folha de S.Paulo. The final text is written by the presidential office and can still change until the last minute, the diplomat said.
"[The president should] defend, as he has defended, peace negotiations in their various spheres, international humanitarian law and, without a doubt, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries"
For Brazil, the timing gives the speech a direct electoral weight. The address comes just before the first round of the country's presidential election, and the government fears the United States may act to boost Flávio Bolsonaro, of the right-wing Liberal Party, the likely opponent to Lula in a runoff, according to Folha. If Lula is not re-elected in October, this is expected to be the last time the 80-year-old president addresses the Assembly, the annual gathering of heads of state and government.
An indirect message to Washington
The reading of a reply to US President Donald Trump is not accidental. Last week, the Republican said he had a "good relationship" with Brazil without naming Lula and claimed to have helped elect leaders in Latin America as the right gained ground in the region, Folha reported. On Wednesday, the US State Department released a document listing Brazil among countries that produce or transit illicit drugs, in which Trump told the US Congress that Brazil's government had failed to confront the PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital) and the Comando Vermelho criminal groups, according to CNN Brasil. Trump had already designated both factions as terrorist organizations, a move Brasília called an attack on Brazilian sovereignty. Lula, for his part, defended Brazil's electoral system in a phone call with Trump in late August and, according to the news site Metrópoles, said he had warned the American president not to try to interfere in the Brazilian election.
The government has also publicly rejected any foreign interference, including the extra tariffs the US has imposed on Brazilian products, according to CNN Brasil. At the briefing, Cozendey said the president is likely to mention Brazil's actions against organized crime and the cooperation agreements it has signed, including with the United States. "I imagine he will address this subject from the angle of what Brazil is doing in this area and the degree of international cooperation that may exist," the ambassador said.
A short trip in an election year
Lula arrives in New York on Sunday (20) and flies home right after the speech on Tuesday (22). Monday (21) is reserved for bilateral meetings, including a confirmed one with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. A meeting requested by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a leading opponent of Trump, is possible; Folha reported that the Brazilian side is weighing the pros and cons, and no meeting with Trump is expected. The delegation will be small, with four ministers, Mauro Vieira (foreign affairs), Esther Dweck (management and innovation), Sônia Guajajara (indigenous peoples) and Raquel Barros (racial equality), plus special adviser Celso Amorim. The reason, according to the presidential team cited by CNN Brasil, is the campaign calendar: in 2025 the Brazilian delegation exceeded 100 people and spent more than 4.3 million reais on allowances, hotels and vehicle rentals, according to Brazil's Transparency Portal. The speech itself, the Itamaraty said, will not be a government retrospective.