Brazil with Lula goes from being a Latinamerican leader to becoming a vassal of dictatorships

Carlos Sánchez Berzaín

By: Carlos Sánchez Berzaín - 13/07/2025


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Brazil, the Latin American giant, and 8th most important economy of the world that has traditionally and institutionally carried out a foreign policy to benefit its national interests, has now been positioned by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as part of regimes that sustain dictatorships, justify violations of human rights and attacks against peace, back terrorism and ignore their international obligations. Brazil is going from being a Latin American leader to becoming a vassal of dictatorships.

The principles guiding Brazil’s international relations are established by Article 4th of its constitution that commands: “The Federative Republic of Brazil is guided in its international relations by the following principles: I. National independence; II. Prevalence of human rights; III. Auto determination of the peoples; IV. Non-Intervention; V. Equality between the States; VI. Defense of peace; VII. Peaceful solution of conflicts; VIII. Repudiation of terrorism and racism; IX. Cooperation amongst the peoples for humanity’s progress; X. Granting of political asylum.”

Because of that mandate, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AKA “Itamarati,” was an institution of democracy with a national vision until the arrival of Lula da Silva to the presidency. The destruction of Brazilian foreign policy, to transform it into a part of 21st Century Socialism led by Cuba, started in the presidency of 2003 to 2010 and clearly violates Brazil’s constitution.

Lula’s journey from jail to a third presidential mandate started on 1 January of 2023, and appears to have set the pace of his radicalization and absolute apathy regarding the Brazilian foreign and internal policy he has imposed since then. His open support to Cuba’s dictatorship and satellite dictatorships in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia, his sustainment of multilateral organizations created to weaken the international and democratic system, his posturing with dictatorships from China, Russia, and Iran, the exacerbation of the antiimperialist narrative, identify him as a radicalized extremist.

It is worthwhile to remember that Lula is the sole founding survivor of 21st Century Socialism that was organized with Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro. Since January of 2023, he reopened “full relations” with dictatorships from Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. In May of 2023, he welcomed dictator Maduro to reincorporate him into the Summit of South American Presidents that he, himself had orchestrated. In July of 2023, he promoted the European Union-CELAC Summit in support of dictatorships. In 2024, Lula traveled to Bolivia “to strengthen” the regime there. Lula defends the “right” of BRICS member States (Brazil, Russia, India, China, & South Africa) to replace the dollar as a monetary unit of reference and more.

Lula’s foreign policy has taken Brazil to back Russia’s invasion to Ukraine, showing himself as an “unconditional” supporter of Russia with his visit at the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the so-call “Day of Soviet Victory” over nazi Germany in the 2nd World War. Regarding Israel’s defense against terrorism and the conflict in Gaza, Lula openly backs the terrorists’ position and has embraced the most radicalized anti-Israel narrative. Lula has made four State-visits to China, and then in May of this year he has highlighted the expansion of Brazil’s partnership with China, signing 20 Accords, adopting 17 Cooperation Accords in several areas, seeking to tie-up Brazil for the next 50 years.

As the head of Brazil’s international relations, Lula supports -on behalf of Brazil- Iran’s dictatorship. At the G-7 Summit held in Canada, he -alone- condemned Israel’s attack to Iran “without criticizing in any way the Iranian regime, in a clear contradiction with the final communique issued by the States of the group”. As the host of the BRICS meeting in Rio de Janeiro, he has just promoted the “backing to Iran and Russia and criticism of United States’ trade tariffs,” but “he has never condemned Russia’s bombing of civilians in Ukraine.”

In the Americas, Lula sustains Cuba’s dictatorship with the expansion of “bilateral cooperation accords” that include the reinstatement of enslaved physicians and personnel who, under different sophisms, produces millions for the sustainment of the violation of human rights against Cuban peoples. He has backed the usurpation by Maduro’s Castrochavist dictatorship of the 28 July of 2024 elections celebrated in Venezuela and the commission of crimes through the use of State-terrorism and crimes against humanity. He has used Brazil’s diplomatic muscle at the Organization of American States (OAS) to protect Nicaragua’s dictatorship.

Due to its economic, geo-political, and technological importance, Brazil is today -without any doubt- the main para-dictatorial country of the Americas. A country with democracy that is controlled by a government that owes its ascent to power to the system of transnational organized crime dictatorships of 21st Century Socialism. A country who is subservient to the sustainment and impunity of dictatorships from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia.

In the global context, Lula has placed Brazil in the group of countries with dictatorships that attack democracies, subjecting the former Brazilian foreign policy to the condition of being a vassal of anti-democratic interests that violate international peace and security.

*Lawyer & Political Scientist. Director of the Interamerican Institute for Democracy.

Translation from Spanish by Edgar L. Terrazas

Published in Spanish by infobae.com Sunday July 6, 2025



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