Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in his opening address to the general debate of the 81st United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York that “Brazilian democracy belongs to Brazilians” and that Brazil “does not belong in anyone’s backyard”, in a reference to US pressure over the October 4, 2026 election, in which he is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, according to Al Jazeera and G1.

Lula said Latin America is seeing a resurgence of “hegemonic ambitions” and foreign interference in elections, and said the UN is failing to prevent wars, with credibility “never so low”, blaming the Security Council and the veto power of its members. “We do not need aircraft carriers watching our waters. We need cooperation to stop the flow of weapons and money that fuels crime,” he said. The speech came the same day Donald Trump used the rostrum to say Washington would use its “unmatched military might” if necessary to protect US interests in the Western Hemisphere, according to excerpts released by the White House.