Brazilian President Lula da Silva, April 23, 2024. | Photo: Canal Gov

Brasilia, April 24 (RHC)-- Brazilian President Lula da Silva says that he wants to promote a meeting of progressive leaders within the framework of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to discuss a joint "confrontation" to the rise of the far right in the world.

Lula has already proposed his idea to the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the French President Emmanuel Macron.  He will discuss it with other progressive leaders before the UNGA meeting scheduled for September in New York.

The Brazilian president ensured that the phenomenon of the far right "is global" and signifies "a setback for democracy," as it represents an advancement "of racism, xenophobia, and a 'culture agenda' that targets minorities."

He pointed out that in Germany, people of Turkish origin constitute the largest minority.  Many of them moved there in the sixties and have played a key role in the country’s development.  While they’ve faced discrimination for decades, the recent rise of the far-right has made their lives even more difficult.

Lula particularly highlighted the rise of the far right in Europe and the United States, a country he said was "a symbol of democracy" and which in January 2022 suffered a violent attack on the Capitol, promoted by activists aligned with the ideas of former President Donald Trum

He compared the events at the U.S. Capitol with the assault on the headquarters of the three branches of government in Brazil in January 2023, carried out by followers of the far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who did not accept his defeat in the elections.

Democratic leaders "cannot allow the denial of all institutions that were created to uphold democracy" to prevail and must unite against an extremist movement for which "what matters most is falsehood," Lula pointed out.

In this context, he framed his proposal for a meeting of progressive leaders during the UNGA, where he believes "how to collectively confront" the growth of the far right should be discussed.