President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) spoke out again this Monday (13) in favor of greater investments in the National Defense sector. The PT member said he did not want war, but stated that the Armed Forces needed to be "prepared" to "guarantee the country's territorial sovereignty." The PT member's statement took place during a visit to the Institute of Aeronautics and Space (IAE), in São José dos Campos (SP). During his speech, Lula cited the interest of military powers, such as the United States, Russia and China, in rare earths and critical minerals – resources present in large quantities in Brazilian territory. ?Rare earths and critical minerals are fundamental inputs for the global energy transition and for the manufacture of advanced technologies, such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, consumer electronics and defense equipment. "We don't want the Armed Forces to pay for retirement. We want the Armed Forces to take care of the sovereignty of this country, to take care of Brazilian society. We don't want war, but we want a country highly prepared to defend its sovereignty," said Lula.
Lula says he doesn't want war, but talks about increasing investment in Defense: 'Forces must be prepared to guarantee sovereignty'
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) spoke out again this Monday (13) in favor of greater investments in the National Defense sector. The PT member said he did not want war, but stated that the Armed Forces needed...
"If we don't take care of ourselves, who will take care of us? If we don't take care of our border, who will take care of us? Our oil is beyond 300 miles. And who will take care of it? Who will take care of the wealth, which we still don't know what is at the bottom of the sea, who will take care of the wealth represented by rare earths, critical minerals? We only see the world saying that, China, Russia, USA. And us?", asked the PT member. ??The discussion about mineral sovereignty has gained strength on the international geopolitical agenda in the face of the commercial and technological dispute between powers such as Beijing and Washington. In his speech to the military, the PT member also mentioned the meeting with government ministers and experts last Friday (10) to discuss Brazilian policy on critical minerals. The meeting took place at Palácio do Planalto and focused on the exploration of these resources. Lula stated that Brazil will not allow itself to be an "exporter of raw materials". "This country will not stop. We held a meeting on Friday, we have a council that will take care of critical minerals and rare earths. We will not allow what happened to us, what happened to our gold, silver, iron ore. Now anyone who wants to explore critical minerals and rare earths will have to do it within this country because we will no longer be an exporter of raw materials. We want to carry out the transformation process here." Lula's defense of greater investments in the Defense industry also comes days after Itamaraty said that there is a "risk" of US military action in Brazil after US authorities classified the Red Command (CV) and the First Capital Command (PCC) as terrorist organizations. FAB fleet was 'melancholic', says Lula During his speech, President Lula said that the first meeting he had after taking office for his third term was with the three commanders of the Armed Forces and the Minister of Defense to discuss the defense industry. Lula recalled that, in the past, presidential planes were nicknamed "sucatão" and "sucatinha". "I thought it was a shame. The Air Force fleet was melancholy. How can you think seriously if you don't take care of your survival as a sovereign nation?", said the president. In São José dos Campos, Lula visited the project for the first gas turbine to generate electricity powered by ethanol. According to the president, Brazil becomes the sixth country in the world to produce a turbine. Aid for Cuba President Lula during a visit to the Air Force facilities in São José dos Campos (SP) Reproduction Also this Monday, Palácio do Planalto reported having started sending 48 tons of powdered milk in humanitarian aid to Cuba, given the worsening of the crisis in the Caribbean country with restrictions and blockades by the United States. The food will be transported on two Brazilian Air Force (FAB) flights, bound for Santiago de Cuba. Brazil's humanitarian cooperation actions are coordinated by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency. The first flight took off at 2:10 pm this Monday from Canoas Air Base, in Rio Grande do Sul, with 16 tons of powdered milk. Arrival at the destination is scheduled for Wednesday (15). The second flight is expected to take off this Tuesday (14) from Porto Alegre International Airport, transporting another 32 tons of product, with arrival also scheduled for Wednesday. This is not the first aid sent by the Brazilian government to Cuba since United States President Donald Trump applied restrictive measures to the Caribbean country. Trump has in recent months intensified economic sanctions against the island. In recent months, the United States has expanded the embargo with tougher measures, such as restrictions on oil shipments and even pressuring other countries not to supply Cuba and new trade and financial barriers. This strategy, called “maximum pressure”, has drastically reduced the country’s access to energy, credit and international trade, worsening the internal crisis. As a result, Cuba faces frequent blackouts, fuel shortages and the collapse of essential services, deepening the humanitarian crisis experienced by the population.
