Lula 💔 Trump

Good morning! President Lula is today expected to appoint diplomat André Corrêa do Lago as president of COP30, to be held in Belém in November. Lago is the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s current climate secretary — in the last two editions of the conference, COP was presided over by representatives of state-owned oil companies. 

The return of Donald Trump to the White House presents a diplomatic challenge for the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration, which has sought to maintain a careful balance in Brazil’s relationships with the US and China — the country’s two largest trading partners.

👉 Why it matters. Lula’s aspiration to position Brazil as a neutral player on the global stage will likely face mounting pressure, as Trump has historically demanded unequivocal loyalty from his allies. 

There’s beef. On the eve of the US election in November, Lula went out of his way to endorse Trump's adversary, Kamala Harris — and likened a Trump victory to “the return of Nazism and fascism in another guise.” 

Icy cold. Lula and Trump have yet to speak directly. Since Trump’s election, communication between the two sides has been limited to formal exchanges, leaving key bilateral ties in a state of uncertainty.