By Hedelberto López Blanch on August 30, 2026 from Havana
illustration: Adano
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been very clear in recognizing the danger looming over his country—and likely over all of Latin America—if the United States, through Brazil’s far right, manages to win the presidential election scheduled for October 4.
During a visit to the Aramar Nuclear Industrial Center, the president reaffirmed the importance of preserving national sovereignty as a fundamental pillar of the country and defended international cooperation and the strengthening of multilateralism, amid threats and diplomatic tensions from the United States.
In his speeches and posts on his X account, Lula has insisted that “without sovereignty, Brazil would not exist” and that “a country of such great size cannot keep its head down for the rest of its life,” in direct reference to the 50% tariffs imposed by the United States on products from the South American giant.
As Brazil’s general elections approach, convicted President Donald Trump has stepped up his campaign in support of far-right candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, whom he welcomed to the White House in June, stating that “it was a pleasure to have such a smart young man in the Oval Office” and later attached two photos from another meeting he held with Flavio on May 26—a secret meeting that had not been made public.
To undermine Lula (son of former President Jair Bolsonaro (2019–2023)), Trump imposed a high tariff on Brazilian products, with the clear aim of damaging Brazil’s economy and undermining the broad support Lula currently enjoys among the population.
As part of this ongoing campaign, the U.S. administration designated the Brazilian groups PCC and Comando Vermelho as terrorist organizations—a move that Bolsonaro had requested of Trump during their meeting and that Lula rejected, arguing that it “could open the door to U.S. military intervention” in his country.
Another ploy rejected by Brasília was the confirmation of Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Pérez, a Republican congressman from Florida and a close associate of the mythomaniac Marco Rubio. The response was that this would only happen after the elections, since the United States had gone a year and a half without an ambassador in the country.
Brazil’s nationalist government is also facing a fierce disinformation campaign across all mainstream media outlets that seek to denigrate the progress achieved in the South American giant in recent years.
In order to ensure global stability and strengthen the country’s position on the international stage, Lula has adopted a constructive stance, as confirmed in a recent telephone conversation with Trump aimed at smoothing over differences.
Among his government’s achievements are the diversification of trade relations through expanded cooperation with BRICS countries and those in the Asia-Pacific region; reducing the dollar’s dominance in global trade; and promoting the creation of alternative payment systems.
In terms of the economy and social policy, Brazil was removed from the United Nations’ Hunger Map; there was a sharp decline in poverty and extreme poverty: 8.7 million people were lifted out of poverty, and 3.1 million were lifted out of extreme poverty.
Gross Domestic Product is projected to grow by 2.4% by the end of the year; the unemployment rate reached one of the lowest levels in history at 5.3%. Furthermore, exports of Brazilian products to various countries increased, and inflation fell to 4.24%, the lowest rate recorded in recent years.
But Lula, with his long history in politics and as president, understands that in the upcoming elections, not only Brazil’s independence will be at stake but also that of Latin America—especially South America—due to the political and economic ambitions of the United States, which seeks to take over and colonize the entire region.
foto: Bill Hackwell
That is why the Brazilian president’s latest statements on the matter have been unequivocal: “It is sovereignty that brought us freedom and independence (…) sovereignty is the authority that a people has over its own destiny; for us, it is the right to build a free, just, and compassionate society.”
Heidelberto López Blanch is a Cuban journalist who writes for the daily newspaper Juventud Rebelde and the weekly Opciones. He is the author of “Cuban Emigration to the United States,” “Secret Stories of Cuban Doctors in Africa,” “Miami, Dirty Money,” and “Rubio, an Uncontrollable Mythomaniac,” and a frequent contributor to Cuba en Resumen