In a notable shift from last year, Brazil and its allies have opted not to invite the United States to an upcoming United Nations meeting focused on democracy. The meeting, co-hosted by Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, and Uruguay, will be held on September 24th, 2025, in New York City, during the UN General Assembly. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will lead the discussions.
This meeting, titled “In defence of democracy. Fighting against extremism” is a stark contrast to the 2024 event, which was also co-hosted by Brazil and Spain but included the participation of the United States. The exclusion of the US this time around is attributed to the change in the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden to Republican President Donald Trump.
Why?
Brazilian diplomats believe that Trump’s presidency has significantly altered the political landscape, making US participation in the event impractical. Lula’s aides have expressed that Trump’s administration has spearheaded the most substantial attack on Brazilian democracy in four decades, referring to the recent tariffs of 50% on Brazilian products, financial sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and travel restrictions for Brazilian officials. These actions were justified by the Trump administration as responses to the legal proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro and the Brazilian Supreme Court’s decisions to regulate hate speech on social media platforms.
Alongside that, there is a long list of bad, anti-democratic actions the current american president has done, which doesn’t align with the free world.
Last year, the focus of the Brazilian-led discussion was on curbing hate speech and the rise of the far-right on social media. The current US government under Trump views such measures as undemocratic and as infringements on freedom of expression, as understood within the context of US law. A huge irony, considering its current attempts at censoring the U.S. media.
The Biden administration had prioritized the defense of democracy, particularly after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters, which delayed the certification of Biden’s victory. Biden’s government organized its own democracy summit and invited Brazil, which declined to attend, viewing the event as a potential criticism of China. In response, the US sent lower-level representatives to Brazil’s democracy event last year.
Lula is set to arrive in New York on September 22nd and will deliver a speech at the opening of the UN General Assembly on September 23rd. His address is expected to occur under the shadow of potential new sanctions against Brazil, promised by Trump following Bolsonaro’s conviction for attempting a coup d’état and other crimes.
The decision to exclude the US from this year’s meeting reflects the growing tensions and differing views on democracy and freedom of expression between the Trump administration and the governments of Brazil and all its allies. As the international community gathers in New York, the absence of the US in these critical discussions on democracy will undoubtedly be a topic of interest and speculation among global leaders and analysts.
Source: UOL
