Brazilians and allies welcome Brazil’s President Lula da Silva to the United States

Brazilians  and allies welcome Brazil’s President Lula da Silva to the United States

Brazilians living in the United States and several local groups from Washington DC and other States gather to welcome Brazil’s President Lula da Silva to the United States on the day that he will be meeting with President Joe Biden in the White House. The gathering will take place at 2:15pm at 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Supporters are traveling from as far as Florida and New York, to meet with local activists and show their support for a country that chose democracy over a growing extremist rhetoric. Brazilian activists say that “President Lula is restoring inclusion and diversity in Brazil; so far he has shown great respect to our indigenous people, especially  towards the Yanomami people in the Amazonian Rainforest. They are great forest defenders and therefore, defend everyone’s future, including Americans’ future. We stand with Lula in his effort to stop illegal gold mining in Yanomami’s protected lands in the Amazon, and bring humanitarian aid to the previous administration’s genocidal neglect.  He is setting the example on indigenous inclusion with the new Ministry of Native Peoples, and also in his plans for ending hunger again in Brazil and for Racial Equality, with a push for bilateral antiracist policies”.

 They also welcome President Lula’s push for peace in Ukraine. In a tweet Lula said, "Brazil has no interest in ceding ammunition to be used in the war between Ukraine and Russia. Brazil is a country of peace. At this moment, we have to find those who want peace, a word that until now has been used very little."  He recently affirmed his commitment to peace and diplomacy. At a press conference he expressed a desire to create a "club of countries that want to build peace on the planet."

President Lula recently took office for a record third term in South America’s largest country, after defeating the far right Jair Bolsonaro in the ballot box. He is told to be coming with his Foreign Relations Minister Mauro Vieira, first lady Rosangela da Silva, known as Janja, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, Environmental Minister Marina Silva, and Racial Equality Minister Anielle Franco, the sister of Marielle Franco, the Councilwoman from Rio de Janeiro who was assassinated in 2018.

Their messages bring a warm welcome to the Brazilian President who will meet with the U.S. President as well as Senator Bernie Sanders, members of the House of Representatives, union leaders affiliated with the AFL- CIO and more. 

The activists are joined by members of the Defend Democracy in Brazil Committee from New York and Florida, CODEPINK, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER coalition, Claudia Jones School for Political Education, the Brazilian Popular Struggle Committee from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, individuals, local union leaders and students.

The gathering will take place at 2:15pm at 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

For more information contact:
Michelle Ellner - CODEPINK - 407-431-4595 michelle@codepink.org

Natalia de Campos- Defend Democracy in Brazil Committee: 

+1 917 449-0022 media@defenddemocracyinbrazil.org