In Spain, the president criticizes unilateral decisions and demands reforms in multilateral organizations and global governance
The president (PT) stated that no country has the authority to unilaterally exclude members of the G20 and defended the permanence of all members in the group, citing the president of South Africa, . The statement was made this Saturday (April 18, 2026), in Spain.
During his speech, Lula criticized the possibility of unilateral decisions on the composition of the group and stated that no isolated leader should have the power to define who participates in the international forum. “Let’s fight, Ramaphosa, for you to go to , because the American president () has no right to take you out of the G20, because he doesn’t own the G20. So, get ready to go to the United States and stay there to join the G20.”
Lula added that the defense of multilateralism needs to be constant in the face of recurring pressures and threats on the international scene: “We have to say this every day, […] because every day we are threatened. […] So I want to tell you, dear companions, that I am in this fight because I know that, individually, there is no way out for any of us.”
MULTILATERALISM AND CRITICISM OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
In a tone of defense of multilateralism, he reinforced the importance of maintaining collective governance in the G20. The president also recalled the creation of the G20 after the 2008 financial crisis and stated that structural reforms in institutions such as the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank had not advanced.
“When there was the subprime crisis in 2008, we created the G20. For what? To try to resolve the crisis. We tried to change the IMF, we tried to change the World Bank. Nothing changed”he stated.
Lula also defended greater representation of emerging countries and the Global South in international decision-making bodies, such as the UN Security Council. He cited the absence of populous and economically relevant countries in the current structure.
“Where is the African representation? On the African continent alone we have 3 countries with more than 120 million inhabitants. Where is the participation of Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia? Where is the participation of India? So many important countries: Germany, Japan, Indonesia… all these countries could participate. And why don’t they change?”he asked in the speech.
The president also criticized the recurrent use of the veto and unilateral decisions by military powers: “No president of any country in the world, no matter how big it is, has the right to impose rules on other countries. None.”
MILITARY INTERVENTIONS AND RECENT WARS
In his speech, Lula mentioned different international conflicts over the last few decades, criticizing military interventions carried out without authorization from multilateral organizations.
He cited cases such as the invasion of Iraq, Libya, Ukraine and the Gaza Strip and stated that such actions weaken the international system: “These are unilateral decisions that do not respect the forum in which these people participate.”
According to the president, the lack of global coordination contributes to the increase in armed conflicts and economic instability.
