Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has challenged US President Donald Trump’s approach to international relations, saying Washington must respect the sovereignty of other nations.
Lula made the remarks in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“President Trump was elected to be the US president. He has the right to govern the US, but he doesn’t have the right to govern other countries,” Lula said.
He said Brazil and other nations did not seek confrontation with the United States but wanted to determine their own interests without having US policies imposed on them.
“We just want to say that every country has their own sovereignty. They take care of their own interests and the US cannot impose their rules over the others,” he said.
Lula also criticised US tariffs on Brazilian products but said Brazil would continue negotiating with Washington rather than immediately retaliating.
Reuters reported that Brazil is currently withholding reciprocal measures against the United States while trade discussions continue. Lula said Brazil would consider such measures if negotiations failed.
The Brazilian president said the tariffs had affected bilateral trade, prompting his government to strengthen commercial ties with other countries, including China, Japan, Germany and members of the European Union.
Lula also raised concerns about possible foreign interference in Brazil’s upcoming election, although he acknowledged that there was no concrete evidence of such interference. In his UN address, he similarly warned against domestic or foreign attempts to interfere with Brazil’s electoral process.
He further criticised Washington’s role in Venezuela, arguing that US involvement had raised questions about the country’s sovereignty. Reuters reported that Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez was leading a delegation at the UN General Assembly and holding discussions with US and international officials.
Lula’s comments came as Trump used his September 22 UN General Assembly address to advocate a stronger US role in the Western Hemisphere and cited the operation that led to former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
The exchange highlights continuing differences between Washington and Brasília over sovereignty, trade, Venezuela and the role of the United States in Latin America.
Lula tells Trump: You have no right to govern other countries
