Brasil 247
Celso Amorim, a special adviser to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said Monday that the United States has no grounds to oppose the result of Brazil’s election. Lula won reelection in Sunday’s runoff. U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to officially recognize the results.
Amorim, a former foreign minister, spoke in an interview with the newspaper O Globo. He played down the White House’s silence and said Brazil wants to keep good diplomatic relations with Washington. But he said Brazil will not accept outside interference or give up its sovereignty.
Celso Amorim (Vinicius Loures / Câmara dos Deputados)
“A government doesn’t need to be recognized,” Amorim said. “Unless someone objects, there’s no reason to worry. The whole world has already reacted. The U.S. cannot oppose the election result. Brazil is an independent country, and we want good relations with the U.S. But that also depends on what they do.”
Relations between Brasília and Washington are already tense, mainly because of U.S. sanctions on Brazilian officials and U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods.
During the campaign, Trump showed support for Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party, Lula’s opponent. Although Trump did not explicitly endorse either candidate for the runoff electdion, he called Bolsonaro’s first round performance a “great victory.”
Washington’s position has also raised questions inside the United States. A group of democratic lawmakers asked for assurances that the Trump administration would respect the result of Brazil’s election. The State Department told them it supports free and fair elections but did not explicitly promise to respect the outcome of Brazil’s vote.
“We are not a colony”
Amorim said Brazil should not give in to pressure from foreign governments. “We are not a colony,” he said. “We are a fortress of progressive democracy in Latin America, a democracy committed to social justice, dignity and fighting crime by appropriate means.”
Amorim said Lula’s win strengthens Brazil’s standing as a democratic example in a region full of political and ideological disputes. He also said Brazil’s wish for good relations with the U.S. does not mean it will accept whatever the Trump administration does. Whether the relationship stays positive, Amorim said, depends on Washington’s choices too.
World leaders congratulate Lula
Many heads of state have congratulated Lula while Trump stays silent. Some are conservatives who disagree with Lula’s government on politics.
Chilean President José Antonio Kast called Lula to congratulate him. Kast is ideologically close to the Bolsonaro family. But he has tried to build a practical working relationship with Brazil’s government.
Presidents Rodrigo Paz of Bolivia, Santiago Peña of Paraguay and José Raúl Mulino of Panama also sent congratulations. All three are on the political right.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have also congratulated Lula. Chinese officials also congratulated Lula.
Argentine President Javier Milei had not commented on the result when this report was written.
Lula wins more than 64 million votes
Lula won 64,256,232 votes in Sunday’s runoff, or 51.79% of valid votes, according to the electoral data released. Bolsonaro finished the first round ahead of Lula but could not keep that lead in the runoff.
Lula now has to govern a divided country and manage relations with foreign governments across the ideological spectrum.
This article originally appeared in Brasil 247, has been translated with express authorization from the editor-in-chief by Panamerican Dispatch, and can be read in its original Portuguese here.