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☆ Brazilian President Lula indirectly calls out Elon Musk on climate crisis, further fueling tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Heather Law | Julia Vargas Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva indirectly called out Elon Musk on the climate crisis on Tuesday, further increasing tensions between the country’s leaders and the billionaire businessman. Lula published the same comments in a post on X, the social media platform that Musk owns, further adding, “He will have to learn to live here. Lula’s comments come as tensions between Musk and Brazil steadily escalate. Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes also announced he would open an inquiry into Musk. We are prohibited from saying which court or judge issued the order, or on what grounds,” the team wrote.

Persons: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Elon Musk, Lula, Jorge Messias, Alexandre de Moraes, de Moraes, @Alexandre de Moraes, Musk, Moraes, “ brazenly, ”, Javier Milei, Jair Bolsonaro, Manuel Adorni, CNN’s Hanna Ziady, Duarte Mendonca, Ramishah Maruf Organizations: New, New York CNN, Union, Municipalities, Brazilian, Brazil ” Locations: New York, Mars, Brazil, Brazilian, Argentine, Texas, Brasilia, United States

☆ Amazon deforestation falls more than 20% to its lowest levels in 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The Amazon jungle is the world’s largest rainforest and its protection is seen as vital to curbing climate change. “It’s an impressive result and seals Brazil’s return to the climate agenda,” said Marcio Astrini, head of advocacy group Climate Observatory. Still, this year’s deforestation rate remains nearly twice that of the all-time low in forest destruction in 2012 and far from Lula’s pledge to reach zero deforestation by 2030. Under the right-wing former president, destruction at the hands of ranchers, land speculators and miners surged to a 15 year high. The official annual period is measured from August to July as there is less cloud cover in the middle of the year to obscure deforestation on satellite images.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro, ”, Marcio Astrini, Lula Organizations: CNN

And senior U.S. administration officials who previewed the meeting said the two nations are rolling out a partnership on workers' rights. Lula quickly traveled to Washington, where he and Biden bonded over the challenges to democracy they had both overcome. Labor is an issue dear to Lula, who got his start in politics as leader of a powerful metalworkers' union. They noted that the Biden administration has lifted travel restrictions to Cuba imposed by the prior administration and is also in the process of restarting remittances to that country. He declined to say whether Biden would broach the subject of Venezuela in their bilateral meeting.

Persons: Joe Biden, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Lula, Biden, “, Thomas Traumann, Jair Bolsonaro, Donald Trump, Trump, Traumann, Dilma Rousseff, Lula’s, Paulo Peres, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, Jake Sullivan, ___ Boak, Eléonore Hughes Organizations: Brazilian, General, U.S, White, Labor, Federal University of Rio, Amazon Fund Locations: New York, Ukraine, Washington, U.S, Cuba, Brazilian, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Venezuela, Rio de Janeiro

He has sought to boost Brazil's cred with each state visit and speech, one multilateral forum after another. PUSHING FOR GLOBAL GOVERNANCE — BRAZIL-STYLEDuring Lula’s travels, he has pushed for global governance that gives greater heft to the Global South and advocating diminishing the dollar’s dominance in trade. After the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin's arrest, Lula said he would review Brazil's membership in the court. Some in Washington had initially hoped Lula could be helpful in advancing a shared agenda in Venezuela, Winter said. As they stood embracing, Lula remained seated while applauding a few feet away and nearly out of the camera frame.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Brazil —, —, Lula, Bolsonaro, ”, Oliver Stuenkel, Getulio Vargas, Ukraine’s, Vladimir Putin's, “, Brian Winter, Biden, Winter, ” Biden, Jake Sullivan, Narendra Modi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Cuba “, ” Lula, Nicolás Maduro, LULA, Lula isn't, Modi, Thomas Traumann, Azali Assoumani, Assoumani's, Paulo Peres, Said Peres, Eleónore Hughes, Madhani, David Biller Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, —, General, Getulio, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Global, . National, Bolsonaro, Indian, Saudi Crown, Biden, Federal University of Rio, . Security, Associated Press Locations: Brazil, United States, China, Italy, India, Argentina, Angola, Sao Paulo, — BRAZIL, Washington, Western Europe, U.S, York, Americas, New York, Ukraine, New Delhi, Cuba, Havana, Venezuela, ”, Brazilian, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro

☆ Brazil's Lula proposes common South American currency at UNASUR meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva proposed creating a common currency in the region during a meeting with South American heads of state in Brasilia on Tuesday. Talk of creating a common currency there has periodically cropped up since its founding in 1991. Lula also argued that regional development banks like the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), the Bank of the South and Brazil’s development bank BNDES should do more to finance social and economic development in the region. It’s not the first time that regional leaders have floated the idea of creating a common currency in South America. “If we compare the Eurozone, discussions over the common currency started back in the 1950s.

☆ Is Brazil Under Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ‘Anti-American’? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Vanessa Barbara | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in January, after defeating Mr. Bolsonaro, it was widely hoped that he would guide Brazil back to the international mainstream. The early signs were good: In November, even before assuming the presidency, Mr. Lula traveled to COP27 in Egypt, and there was an amiable visit to the United States in February. Then Mr. Lula started going off script. In line with the country’s history of multilateralism, and sensitive to its needs, Mr. Lula is charting his own course. Mr. Lula’s visit to Beijing in April, where he met President Xi Jinping amid much fanfare, put several noses out of joint.

☆ Colombia's Gustavo Petro finds his opening in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

So what was the most solid common ground President Biden, as host, could find for his guest? Leaders from the region tend to see the climate issue as their platform in international summits. Like many countries in Latin America, Colombia has received considerable investments from Chinese companies in recent years, mostly in the transport and mining sectors. “Petro has the aspiration of leading the new phase of Latin America’s geopolitics. And Biden can also tout a considerable concession from his meeting with Petro, who had always refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine – until now.

☆ Brazil’s Lula pitches ‘peace coalition’ for Ukraine, but he treads a thin line
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Julia Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

He says he aims to form a coalition of countries willing to intervene and lead efforts for peace in Ukraine, though in the process is finding himself treading a thin line with the world’s biggest powers. When he launched his political comeback in 2022, Lula told Time magazine that he thought both Russia and Ukraine were responsible for the conflict. Lula condemned Russia’s decision to invade its neighbor, but controversially claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could have done more to avoid the conflict. Lula could not contemplate sending weapons – a step that would go far beyond Brazil’s traditional foreign policy, suggested the analyst. But he couldn’t do nothing, either – after all, Lula had promised to bring Brazil “back” to the world stage.

CNN —A man dressed in the yellow and green of the Brazilian flag walks towards a glass table inside the Planalto Presidential Palace in Brasilia with a metal rod in his hand. The footage provides new insight into one of the darkest days in in the life of Brazil’s young democracy. It also appears to bolster the claims of those who accused police of failing to act to stop protesters from breaking into the Presidential Palace, among other government buildings. The newly obtained footage shows police forces seemingly retreating as supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro – who was ousted in a vote last fall – march on the palace. “To liken my behaviour to that Major distributing waters to protesters is absurd,” he told Brazilian broadcaster Globo.

☆ World leaders are lining up to meet Xi Jinping. Should the US be worried?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —Xi Jinping has had a busy couple of weeks. “(Chinese leaders) believe it’s time now for China to make its strategic plans,” said Li Mingjiang, an associate professor of international relations at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Beijing has watched uneasily as the war in Ukraine has driven the US and its European allies closer. When French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing last week, Xi drew comparisons between China and France: both “major countries with a tradition of independence,” Xi said, and “firm advocates for a multi-polar world” – or a world without a dominant superpower. But how Beijing navigates these initiatives, observers say, comes down to a bottom line that’s integrally related to Xi’s global ambitions and world view.

☆ Biden to meet Brazil's Lula for talks on climate, democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Days later a violent movement of election-denying Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil’s presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court. Biden and Lula are not expected to agree on the war in Ukraine given Brazil's neutrality. On CNN, Lula defended his decision not to provided German-made artillery ammunition sought for the West's support of Ukrainian defense. Brazil's foreign ministry said support for democracy, human rights and the environment will be at the center of Lula's agenda in Washington. Lula traveled to Washington with Environment Minister Marina Silva, who is expected to meet with Biden's climate envoy John Kerry.

☆ Lula: Brazil's intelligence services failed ahead of Brasilia pro-Bolsonaro riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday his intelligence services had failed on Jan. 8, when Brasilia buildings were stormed by supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro. “We made an elementary mistake: my intelligence did not exist (that day),” Lula told TV channel GloboNews in an interview. The president stressed he would like to maintain civilized relations with Brazil’s armed forces but noted they must not be politicized. The Brazilian insurrection resembled the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The Brazilian president said he was also set to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Brazil later this month, as Reuters first reported last month.

☆ Brazil ‘mega-protest’ fizzles amid authorities’ concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

BRASILIA, Brazil — Skittish Brazilian authorities on Wednesday spared no effort to boost security in the face of a social media flyer promoting a “mega-protest to retake power” in two dozen cities. On Brasilia’s esplanade surrounded by federal government buildings, authorities had designated an area for protest and stationed police and national guard troops. Just one couple showed, dressed in the same Brazil soccer jerseys that thousands of rioters wore four days earlier. Citing the call to protest, a Supreme Court justice ordered local authorities in cities across Brazil to prevent protesters from blocking roads or occupying public spaces and buildings. Justice Minister Flávio Dino told local press this week that authorities have identified some of the protest’s financiers.

☆ Brazilian authorities brace for possible repeat of uprising
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

It was unclear how large or violent such demonstrations might shape up to be, but skittish authorities took no chances. Citing the call to action on social media, a Supreme Court justice ordered local authorities in cities across Brazil to prevent protesters from blocking roads or occupying public spaces and buildings. A police officer carries away part of a vandalized sculpture Tuesday at the Supreme Court building in Brasília. Carl De Souza / AFP - Getty ImagesJustice Minister Flávio Dino told local press this week that authorities have identified some of the protest’s financiers. In November, the Supreme Court froze 43 bank accounts of people accused of having financed roadblocks that disrupted highway traffic in the wake of Lula’s victory.

☆ Brazilian judge orders arrest of Bolsonaro’s ex-minister after Brasília rampage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

BRASILIA, Brazil — A Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordered the arrest on Tuesday of the capital’s most recent public security chief after supporters of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro led a rampage through government buildings. Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro storm the National Congress building in Brasília on Sunday. In the arrest warrant, Moraes cited their failure to ensure proper security forces were in place. A Reuters witness spotted police at the Torres family residence in an upscale Brasília neighborhood, where a resident said they left carrying bags. His son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, denied on Tuesday that the former president was responsible for the riots on Sunday.

“Bolsonaro ran on a very Trump-like ticket,” Todd Landman, professor of political science at the University of Nottingham in England, told NBC News. He also raised doubts about the integrity of the electoral process well in advance.”After his defeat to Lula in October, Bolsonaro didn’t explicitly concede. NBC News reached out to the White House for comment on congressional Democrats’ demands for Biden to remove Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro’s visa status was not immediately clear. Unlike the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol, very few officials were in the buildings at the time of Sunday’s attacks, and Bolsonaro’s supporters faced little opposition.

☆ Lula’s response to attack on Brazil's Congress will be crucial, political analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLula’s response to attack on Brazil's Congress will be crucial, political analyst saysJimena Blanco, head of Americas at Verisk Maplecroft, discusses the ramifications of Sunday’s riots on prominent government buildings in Brazil’s capital.

Chaos struck Brazil's capital on Sunday, when supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attacked the country's Congress by climbing on top of its roof and breaking the glass in its windows. Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro rifle through papers on a desk in Planalto Palace, the workplace of Brazil's president, in Brasilia on Sunday. Eraldo Peres / APLula da Silva held a televised address Sunday where he authorized federal intervention within the Federal District until the end of January. Democracy guarantees the right to free expression, but it also requires people to respect institutions," the president tweeted. "And you know that there are several speeches by the former president encouraging this," Lula da Silva said.

☆ Brazil’s Lula sworn in, vows accountability and rebuilding
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Lula is assuming office for the third time after thwarting far-right incumbent Bolsonaro’s reelection bid. Many have gathered outside military barracks since, questioning results and pleading with the armed forces to prevent Lula from taking office. Furthermore, Santoro said, the credibility of Lula and his Workers’ Party were assailed by a sprawling corruption investigation. He had been camped outside Brasilia’s army headquarters with hundreds of other Bolsonaro supporters since Nov. 12. Instead of Bolsonaro, a group representing diverse segments of society performed the role of presenting Lula with the presidential sash to Lula atop the ramp of the presidential palace.

☆ Brazil’s Bolsonaro lands in Florida, avoiding handover of power to leftist Lula
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Bolsonaro’s exit from Brazil came after he repeatedly said he would not hand over the presidential sash to Lula at Sunday’s inauguration, breaking with Brazil’s democratic tradition. He may also face legal risks from remaining in Brazil as his presidential immunity expires when Lula takes office. Vice President Hamilton Mourao is now acting president after Bolsonaro left the country, his press office said. Bolsonaro’s exit follows weeks of silence, after he lost Brazil’s most fraught election in a generation. Some of Bolsonaro’s supporters have refused to accept Lula’s victory, believing his baseless claims that the October election was stolen.

☆ Top court bans guns from Brazil's capital ahead of Lula inauguration
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday banned registered gun-owners from carrying firearms in the federal district until after the inauguration of President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in reaction to recent episodes of political violence. Justice Alexandre de Moraes temporarily suspended licenses that permit hunters, marksmen and collectors to carry guns, firearms and ammunition in the region where the capital city of Brasilia is located. The measure will be in place from Wednesday evening to Jan. 2, the day after Lula’s inauguration, according to Moraes’ decision, which was reviewed by Reuters. Incoming Justice Minister Flavio Dino cheered the ruling, saying the move would ensure greater security at the inauguration. He said Lula’s team had requested the Supreme Court suspend firearm licenses.

☆ Fact Check-Bolsonaro did not ‘annul’ Brazil’s election and the military did not find evidence of ‘fraud’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brazil’s electoral court certified president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s win on Dec. 12, 2022, contrary to claims that the election was fraudulent and annulled by President Jair Bolsonaro. There is no evidence that Bolsonaro has annulled the election results or has the power to do so, however. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) is the highest body of the electoral system. Reuters previously debunked similar claims about Brazil’s presidential election (here) and fact checks misinformation in Brazil in Portuguese (here). Brazil’s supreme electoral court, who has power to annul elections in the country, certified the results of this year’s general election.

☆ Lula’s promise to create a ministry of Indigenous affairs in doubt
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

BRASILIA — Brazil’s Indigenous leaders were disappointed on Monday after President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva appeared to backtrack on a promise to create a ministry of Indigenous affairs to help restore rights and protections that were undermined by the current government. Lula said on Friday he might instead decide on a special department linked to the presidential office rather than a fully-fledged ministry, which disappointed Indigenous leaders who were taken by surprise by his comments. The ministry was important for the historical recognition of Brazil’s 900,000 indigenous people and reparation for their mistreatment and loss of land rights, she told Reuters. Lula drew loud applause at the COP27 climate talks in Egypt last month when he told delegates he explicitly promised an Indigenous ministry to ensure “dignified survival, security, peace and sustainability” for some 300 Indigenous tribes that still exist in Brazil. But Indigenous leaders said a ministry was needed to support their communities with the power to mobilize other ministries, and even the police and security forces to protect them.

☆ Fact Check-Digitally altered image of Brazil’s President-elect Lula holding satanic statue
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An image of Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva appearing to hold a satanic statue is digitally altered. The original was posted on Lula’s Facebook page in October 2021 and showed him holding a small sculpture of himself. Other examples of the image shared on social media can be found (here), (here), and (here). The original image shows Lula holding a small figurine of himself. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

The outcome of Brazil's presidential election Sunday is being hailed as a crucial victory for global climate, with experts saying the country now has an opportunity to curb rampant deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and jump-start a green economy. The 77-year-old has vowed to fight Amazon deforestation and crack down on illegal gold miners, loggers and ranchers who have invaded indigenous land and caused widespread environmental destruction. “Brazil is ready to retake its leadership in the fight against the climate crisis,” Lula said in a victory speech in Sao Paulo, according to Reuters. The vast Amazon rainforest plays a critical role as a carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen. The findings added new urgency to restore balance to the Amazon and avert the worst consequences of climate change.

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