Brazil's far-left President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Opening Remarks He appeared at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to defend widespread censorship of conservatives, accusing the Israeli government of seeking “revenge” against Hamas terrorists.
Brazil open Brazil addresses the General Assembly every year, a tradition that began in 1955 when Brazilian leaders volunteered to speak first while other countries hesitated.
Lula is speechIn his second speech since taking office for a third term in January 2023, he made specific mention of the Palestinian delegation, welcoming Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the meeting. Although the Palestinian Authority is not a state, the UN has always given the Authority a platform in the General Assembly.
The Brazilian president covered several topics, including the war in Ukraine, Israel's self-defense operations against Hamas jihadists, suspected climate change and calls for reform of the UN Charter and the UN Security Council.
Lula said without directly mentioning or criticizing Israel. end Some times Following the October 7 terrorist attacks, the UN Secretary-General described the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as “one of the largest humanitarian crises in recent history, now spreading dangerously into Lebanon.”
“What began as a terrorist act by fanatics against innocent Israeli civilians has become a collective punishment against the entire Palestinian people,” Lula said. “The death toll exceeds 40,000 people, most of them women and children.”
40,000 dead Origin The Gaza Ministry of Health Hamas control Real thing.
“The right of defence has turned into a right of revenge, obstructing agreement on the release of hostages and postponing the ceasefire,” he argued.
Regarding the so-called climate change crisis, President Lula declared that “in times of increasing polarization, expressions like 'deglobalization' have become commonplace.”
“It is not possible to 'deplanetize' our common life,” he said, adding that “we are doomed to climate interdependence.”
“The planet is no longer waiting for future generations to make the payment and is tired of unfulfilled climate change agreements,” Lula said. “Tired of ignored carbon reduction targets and undelivered financial aid to poor countries. Denialism is succumbing to the evidence of global warming.”
The Brazilian President flood Left-wing environmentalists, activists and public figures widely condemned the wildfires that raged in southern Brazil this year and the ongoing record fires in the Amazon rainforest under the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a conservative ally of Lula. Ignored They suffered under Lula's government, even though the situation was far more serious.
President Lula insisted that “the government will not outsource responsibility or renounce sovereignty” regarding the forest fires, and that his administration would reduce deforestation in the Amazon by 50 percent by 2023 and “eliminate it” by 2030.
Lula also appeared to defend widespread censorship of conservative voices in his country. Peaked In August, the Brazilian government banned the social media site Twitter, saying it was necessary to “defend democracy.” Twitter (also known as “X”) is expected to return to Brazil soon after owner Elon Musk approved the censorship. Concessions to the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), Brazil's highest court.
“Defending democracy means persistent action against extremist, messianic and totalitarian attacks that spread hatred, intolerance and resentment,” he argued, taking a completely different tone from when he condemned Israel's campaign against Hamas' terrorist genocide.
“The Brazilian people will continue to defeat those who seek to undermine our institutions and exploit them for reactionary forces,” Lula said. “In a globalized world, it makes no sense to rely on false patriots and isolationists.”
The Brazilian president argued that the region's future “depends above all on building sustainable, efficient and inclusive states that confront all forms of discrimination.”
He further stated that the government “ [be] “We are threatened by individuals, companies and digital platforms who believe they are above the law,” he said. developing Twitter situation.
Lula also called for the creation of an international “global tax standard,” saying that “the super-rich pay proportionally much less tax than the working class.”
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan author documenting life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter. here.
