During the closing press conference of the BRICS Summit on Monday (7) in Rio de Janeiro, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party) once again condemned the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and criticized the paralysis of multilateral organizations in the face of the current crisis.
“What is happening in Gaza is beyond the comprehension of anyone on Earth. Calling it a war when all that’s being killed are innocent people, women and children?” the Brazilian president asked journalists at the end of the meeting.
Lula also questioned the role of the United Nations (UN), accusing the Security Council of being an interested party to the conflict. “The UN should be coordinating [peace efforts], but the UN can’t coordinate because it’s involved in this. Its Security Council is made up of countries involved in this, both Europe and the United States.”
Brazil’s Lula calls for new global governance and Global South inclusion
Without directly mentioning Israel or the United States, Lula criticized the lack of peace proposals that go beyond the interests of world military powers. According to him, there is a “desert of discussion” in the current international scenario.
“There is no interlocutor. There is no interlocutor to present an alternative proposal. Not in Israel, not in Ukraine, not in Congo, not in Sudan. It doesn’t exist,” he said.
According to Lula, the lack of multilateral proposals reveals the urgent need for reform of the global governance system. He called for Latin American, African and Asian countries to join the UN Security Council.
“What explains India not being on the UN Security Council? Or countries like Brazil, Mexico or Nigeria, with its 240 million inhabitants, not be part of it? Or Egypt, which has more than 100 million? There isn’t a reason,” he criticized. “Those who sat on the Security Council in 1945 don’t want to allow others to join in.”
“The BRICS is another way of doing politics”, says Lula
Commenting on the bloc’s role, Lula reinforced that BRICS is not opposed to the West, but proposes a political alternative based on solidarity and joint development.
“The BRICS wasn’t born to oppose other groups. The BRICS is just another way of doing politics, a more solidary approach,” he stated.
