Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sharply criticized what he termed a return to colonial approaches toward developing nations during a summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Colombia. While not explicitly naming United States President Donald Trump, his remarks clearly targeted actions by the Trump administration, including the January 3 abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the fuel blockade against Cuba. Lula stated, "It's not possible for someone to think that they own other countries," in an apparent reference to US policy, adding pointed questions about US actions in Cuba and Venezuela.

The left-wing Brazilian leader told delegates, including representatives from Africa, that their countries had historically been plundered for resources like gold, silver, diamonds, and minerals. "After taking everything we had, now they want to own the critical minerals and rare earths that we have," Lula said, without specifying who "they" are, concluding, "They want to colonize us again." He also criticized the ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel against Iran, drawing parallels to the 2003 US-led Iraq war launched under the pretext of eliminating "weapons of mass destruction."

Lula questioned the rationale for the Iran conflict, noting, "Iran has been invaded under the pretext that Iran was building a nuclear bomb," and pivoted to the Iraq war, asking, "Where are Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons? Who found them?" He highlighted the long history of US intervention in Latin America, dating back over 200 years to the Monroe Doctrine, and argued that the Trump administration has rekindled this legacy through measures like strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean, a naval blockade on Venezuelan oil, and interference in elections in Honduras and Argentina.

The Brazilian president further condemned the United Nations for its failure to halt multiple global conflicts. "What we are witnessing is the total and absolute failure of the United Nations," he asserted, citing situations in Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran. Lula called for reform of the UN Security Council, which has been unable to prevent major wars due to the veto power of its five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, despite decades of unsuccessful reform efforts.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whom the US Drug Enforcement Administration has designated a "priority target," echoed Lula's condemnation of the UN. Petro stated at the summit, "The body is acting in impotence, and that is not what it was created for. It was created after World War II precisely to prevent wars. And yet, what we have today is war." He emphasized the need for the UN to address climate change and global warming, warning that diminishing tools for collective action could lead to "barbarism."

The summit saw relatively low attendance from presidents and prime ministers across Latin America and the Caribbean, reflecting deep regional divisions. Participants included the presidents of Brazil, Uruguay, Burundi, and Colombia, along with the prime ministers of Guyana and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as deputy ministers, foreign ministers, and ambassadors.

Source: www.aljazeera.com