Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticised what he described as a renewed colonial approach toward developing nations during the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit in Colombia.
Speaking at a high-level forum with African delegates, Lula highlighted historical exploitation of resources, warning that foreign powers now seek control over critical minerals and rare earths.
“It’s not possible for someone to think that they own other countries,” Lula said, in an apparent reference to US policy.
“What are they doing with Cuba now? What did they do with Venezuela? Is that democratic?”
“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” might be. “They want to colonise us again.”
He also condemned the ongoing US/Israel-Iran war, comparing it to the 2003 Iraq invasion.
“Iran has been invaded under the pretext that Iran was building a nuclear bomb,” Lula said, before pivoting to the US campaign in Iraq, which resulted in the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
“Where are Saddam Hussein’s chemical weapons?” Lula asked. “Where are they? Who found them?”
Lula also called for UN Security Council reform, citing failures to prevent conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran.
The CELAC summit in Bogotá ended with the pro tempore presidency transferring to Uruguay, which will focus on food security, energy transition, and organised crime.
The summit also featured the bloc’s first high-level forum with African partners, highlighting efforts to strengthen South–South cooperation despite regional divisions. Leaders reaffirmed the need for dialogue and a unified voice on sovereignty, peace, and global governance.
ℹ️ Al Jazeera, AP News
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