President demanded dialogue between leaders and stated that his weapon is argument and reason – to applause at a progressive event
The president (PT) asked this Saturday (April 18, 2026) that the North American (Republican Party), (Renaissance, center), Vladimir Putin (Independent), Keir Stamer (Labor Party, center-left) and the Chinese (Communist Party of China) call a meeting and “stop this war madness”.
Lula once again criticized the United Nations Security Council and stated that the body, created after the Second World War to guarantee peace, had become a “five warlords”. “Call a meeting and stop this madness of war, because the world no longer behaves”said in speech at the 1st Meeting of the Global Progressive Mobilization, in Spain.
After the sentence, there was a standing ovation from the audience, with shouts of “hello, hello, hello, hello, Lula, Lula”.
Lula said he does not want confrontation with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, or other leaders. “My weapon is argument, my weapon is reason”he stated, defending peace as the central axis of global progressivism.
In his speech, the PT member also criticized the dominant economic model. He said that neoliberalism promised prosperity, but delivered hunger, inequality and insecurity. “We have been managers of the ills of neoliberalism”he stated.
The PT member also highlighted the unequal impact of global crises. According to him, countries in the Global South pay for wars and climate changes that they did not cause, in addition to being treated as suppliers of raw materials.
CRITICISM OF ARMED CONFLICTS
Lula also addressed the scenario of armed conflicts, which he classified as the most serious since the Second World War. He criticized the invasion of Iraq, the intervention in Libya, what he called genocide in Gaza and the bombing of Lebanon.
He recalled that, in 2010, Brazil and Türkiye reached an agreement with Iran on uranium enrichment – accepted by Tehran, but rejected by the United States and the European Union.
Regarding the dispute in the field of information, he stated that “the internet has become a battlefield” and that the fight needs to go beyond digital platforms, reaching universities and churches.
MESSAGE FOR OPPONENTS
Without mentioning the name of senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), Lula spoke about opponents who, according to him, “they say they are patriots, but they ask for sanctions against their own country“, “they declare themselves to be family men, but they turn a blind eye to violence against women and sexual abuse of children”.
“Our role is to unmask these people”said Lula.
At 80 years old, he ended by saying that he feels younger. “What makes people old is losing a cause. I feel today the same as I did when I was 50 years old, because I have a cause: democracy, freedom, equality.”
SQUID TURN IN EUROPE
Lula embarked on Thursday (April 16) for a 6-day trip around Europe. More than 30 agreements and announcements are estimated with Spain and Germany. The PT member traveled with a delegation of at least 14 ministers and presidents of state-owned companies. Janja, on Wednesday (April 15).
Here is the president’s schedule in Spain:
