Lula calls for more sustainable development actions in Latin America
After welcoming ten South American leaders at the Itamaraty Palace—the seat of Brazil’s Foreign Relations Ministry—President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday (May 30) stressed the need to advance regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Brazilian president regretted the previous administration’s break with foreign policy principles and the closing of borders with historical partners: “Such a stance proved decisive in how the country detached itself from major issues impacting the everyday lives of our neighbors. We allowed ideologies to divide us, we interrupted integration efforts, and we abandoned dialogue channels and cooperation mechanisms. As a result, we all lost.”
The South American leaders heeded the plea made by Lula, who is seeking to revive cooperation within the continent. The president said he is convinced commitment to South American integration must be given a new lease of life.
“What brings us together in Brasília today is a sense of urgency—the urgency to turn our eyes to our region as one yet again, the determination to redefine a common vision and re-launch concrete efforts toward sustainable development, peace, and the well-being of our people.”
South American integration is crucial for strengthening the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean, he went on to argue. “A strong, confident, and politically organized South America expands the possibilities to affirm a true Latin American and Caribbean identity globally.”
The assembly
The meeting was attended by Presidents Alberto Fernández (Argentina), Luís Arce (Bolivia), Gabriel Boric (Chile), Gustavo Petro (Colombia), Guillermo Lasso (Ecuador), Irfaan Ali (Guyana), Mário Abdo Benítez (Paraguay), Chan Santokhi (Suriname), Luís Lacalle Pou (Uruguay), and Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela).
The current president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, is being represented by the nation’s Prime Minister Alberto Otárola, as she is unable to attend.
In the evening, the heads of state and delegations should attend a dinner hosted by Lula and First Lady Janja da Silva at the Alvorada presidential palace.
