Brazil’s Lula addresses Portuguese parliament amid far-right protests

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Amid far-right protests, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke at the Portuguese parliament on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of Portugal’s left-wing Carnation Revolution, which toppled the authoritarian regime in 1974.

His speech was met by jeers and protests by the 12 politicians from Portugal’s far-right Chega party. They held up posters with slogans saying: “The thief should be in prison” and “no more corruption.”

Augusto Santos Silva, president of the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic, apologized to Lula and scolded the politicians, saying: “There will be no more shame in the name of Portugal.”

Angry far-right protesters outside the parliament also demanded Lula’s imprisonment on corruption charges. After his speech, Lula shrugged off the protests, saying he was used to demonstrations.

During his address, Lula discussed how the far-right nostalgia in Brazil “tried to bring the country back 50 years,” but emphasized Brazil’s return to democracy and expressed gratitude for the support from Portugal as both countries “strive for fairer societies.”

He blamed anti-science rhetoric for “avoidable” deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic and lamented the rise of the far-right “fueled by the dictatorship of algorithms.”

But Lula has not only faced criticisms from the far right during his visit.

On Friday, upon his arrival in Portugal, Ukrainians demonstrated in front of the Brazilian embassy in Lisbon after Lula urged the US and European allies to stop supplying arms to Ukraine.

During his speech in parliament, Lula struck a more diplomatic tone. “We condemn the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” he said to applause. “But we must admit the war cannot continue forever,” he added, calling for peace talks and changes to the UN security council.

He said Portugal’s Carnation Revolution showed the world how civil resistance can overpower an authoritarian state and military.