Lula highlights Brazil's special geopolitical moment with BRICS, COP

Resuming international leadership, establishing Brazil as a powerhouse in energy transition, becoming an increasingly attractive market for other countries and strengthening democracy. In a press conference this Thursday (Jan 30) at Planalto Palace, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva once again highlighted Brazil’s regained leadership on the geopolitical stage. He emphasized the importance of hosting events such as the G20 last year, as well as BRICS and COP30 this year, and reaffirmed the need to protect democratic values.

COP30 will serve as a benchmark for what we want moving forward. Indigenous peoples, quilombolas, heads of State, and experts will be there to take part in the discussions. We want something truly meaningful."

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic

"I am not being humble when I tell you that we held the most important G20 in history. Now we will repeat this with the largest BRICS, and hold the best ever COP, in the heart of the Amazon, where no one believed it was possible. People give their opinions about the Amazon from everywhere on the planet. Everyone is an expert; everyone wants to protect it. So we will hold it there, in the city of Belém, so that people can understand what the Amazon is, so they can see the greatness of its nature."

To the President, the event in the capital of Pará is an opportunity for nations to truly witness the size of investments needed to mitigate the effects of climate change, as well as a chance to learn about the lives of riverside dwellers, indigenous peoples, quilombolas, and rural workers. "COP30 will serve as a benchmark for what we want moving forward. Indigenous peoples, quilombolas, heads of State, and experts will be there for discussion. We want something truly meaningful," he said.

Lula added, "if we do not do something bold, these COPs will be discredited because they approve measures that look good on paper, but no country ever follows through. The rich countries committed to providing 100 billion dollars per year to developing countries in Copenhagen, in 2009, and they have not delivered yet," the President said, mentioning new financing promises made at last year's COP in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the need to protect those who depend on the ecosystems that must be preserved. "Under the canopy of every tree there is an indigenous person, a riverside dweller, a rural worker. These people need to live, they must have access to the things everyone else has, the material goods that civilization has achieved," he concluded.

EXPORTS - The President also mentioned the positive moment of Brazilian foreign trade, which has opened over 300 markets to national agricultural products in the past two years. "What we were talking about 20 years ago, which seemed like a dream, has become reality. Brazil has become the world’s breadbasket. The proof is that we opened 300 new markets in two years. We also came to an agreement with the European Union, the world's largest trading bloc," he said.

GLOBAL ALLIANCE - Lula also emphasized that the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, one of Brazil's main achievements during its G20 presidency in 2024, will hold its first major event in May, with the presence of all the agriculture ministers from African countries. "We will hold a meeting to showcase what we are doing well in the fight against hunger in Brazil, take them to the field to see what is happening, and organize a technical meeting coordinated by Embrapa [the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation] and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to transfer some of our knowledge to our African partners, to see if we can truly fight hunger."

TAX REFORM - The President also mentioned the effects of the tax reform, the first to be approved in a democratic regime in Brazil's history, aiming to diversify Brazil's business relations with the outside world in the future. "One thing the world will thank us for is the approval of the tax reform, which will come into effect in 2027 and will make Brazil a more attractive country for foreign investments and safer for national investments."

DEMOCRACY - Regarding the international context, the president reinforced the importance of ensuring that everyone understands the need to fight for the preservation of democracy and democratic, representative institutions, not only in Brazil. "What is happening in the world with democracy is unacceptable. Democracy, in fact, will be the great loser if we allow the rise of the far right worldwide, if we allow the victory of fake news, as is happening, and if we allow lies, you know, to triumph over the truth."

RECIPROCITY - The Brazilian President also commented on the possibility of new tariffs being imposed on Brazilian products by the new administration in the United States. To Lula, the issue is one of reciprocity. “It is very simple. If they put tariffs on Brazilian products, Brazil will reciprocate,” he stated. “I want to respect the United States, and I want President Donald Trump to respect Brazil. What I want is to improve our relationship with the United States, to export more if necessary, to import more if necessary, and maintain our relationship, which has lasted for 200 years.”