Lula warns Brazil must be ready to defend itself amid rising global tensions
“If we are not prepared to defend ourselves, at any moment we could be invaded,” Lula said during Ramaphosa’s official visit
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned Monday that the country must be prepared to defend itself against potential external threats, as global geopolitical tensions intensify, during a joint appearance with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Brasília.
“If we are not prepared to defend ourselves, at any moment we could be invaded,” Lula said during Ramaphosa’s official visit to the Planalto presidential palace.
The Brazilian leader raised the issue while discussing the need to deepen defense cooperation between Brazil and South Africa, two of the largest economies in the Global South. Lula suggested that both countries should explore joint industrial and technological development in the defense sector.
“We need to combine our potential and see what we can produce together. We do not need to keep buying weapons from major international suppliers; we can produce them ourselves,” Lula said during the joint press conference.
He added that countries in the Global South should assume greater responsibility for their own security. “We need to convince ourselves that no one will help us except ourselves,” he said.
The remarks come amid heightened international tensions. The recent U.S. military incursion into Venezuela and the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran have raised concerns in parts of Latin America about the risk of regional escalation.
Despite those concerns, Lula emphasized that Latin America remains a largely peaceful region. “We are a region of peace, without nuclear weapons, where we use drones for agriculture, science and technology,” he said.
Brazil currently spends about 1% of its gross domestic product on defense, roughly half the global average. According to reports in the Brazilian press, the armed forces recently presented the government with a plan estimating that about 450 billion reais (around US$85 billion) would be needed to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities against foreign threats.
During the visit, Lula also highlighted the strategic importance of critical minerals and rare earth resources found in both Brazil and South Africa. He said his government wants to promote domestic processing and industrialization of those resources rather than exporting them solely as raw materials.
“We have already warned the world that the old model of resource extraction is over,” Lula said. “We want to participate in the transformation process and have it take place here in Brazil.”
The United States and the European Union have expressed interest in Brazil’s rare earth reserves, while Lula’s government has signed cooperation agreements in the sector with India and South Korea.
