Lula da Silva criticizes Latin American leaders' stance toward the U.S.

Brazilian President and reelection candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva lamented on October 1, 2026, the historic sense of inferiority among Latin American leaders toward the United States, according to CNN Chile. In an interview, the president responded to a question about the Shield of the Americas, an initiative launched in March by U.S. President Donald Trump with right-wing leaders in the region to combat drug trafficking, and from which Brazil and Mexico are excluded.

The debate over regional sovereignty overlaps with Brazil's electoral race ahead of the first round, scheduled for next Sunday. Lula is competing in one of the most polarized elections in the country's recent history against far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, whom the president accuses of seeking a subordinate alignment with Washington and of kissing the American flag.

In his remarks, the progressive leader also linked the Bolsonaro family to the trade tensions, tariffs and sanctions imposed by the White House on Brazilian officials since the court conviction of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Despite these frictions, Lula argued for maintaining a civil and respectful relationship with the U.S. government, noting that ties between heads of state do not depend on personal affinities.

Earlier, the Brazilian president warned Washington not to interfere in his country's domestic elections. With this defense of national sovereignty, Lula seeks to consolidate his position in the polls, where he faces a statistical tie both in the first round and in a possible runoff set for October 25.