Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said his counterpart President Donald Trump was elected to govern the United States, not “to rule the world.”
“I respect the election of President Trump who was elected by the American people to govern the United States,” but “he was not elected to rule the world,” Lula said in an interview with two radio stations based in the northeastern state of Bahia on Thursday when asked about Trump’s recent plans to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Brazilian President Lula emphasised that Trump must uphold “democratic and civilised” relations with the global community, referencing the former U.S. president’s recent statements.
On Tuesday, Trump declared at a news conference that the United States would take control of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it after relocating Palestinians elsewhere.
Lula also criticized the U.S. for portraying itself as “a symbol of democracy and the world’s ‘sheriff.’” He described Trump’s remarks about occupying certain countries and territories as “provocations.”
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the international community to persist in advocating for a full ceasefire and the release of all hostages in Gaza.
He made this appeal during a session of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, which convened to elect a new bureau and outline its work program for the year.
