President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said in a speech on the occasion of Brazil’s Independence Day, September 7, that Brazil is not and will not be “anyone’s colony.”
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In his address, broadcast on national radio and television, the president defended sovereignty and indirectly criticized the tariffs imposed by the United States on Brazilian products.
“We must remain strong and proud, without bowing our heads, so that Brazil never becomes a colony of other foreign powers again. We are not, nor will we be, anyone’s colony,” he said.
In the message, which was recorded at the Palácio da Alvorada, President Lula said that “a sovereign country is one capable of defending its territory, its borders, its environment, its resources, and its people from any foreign interest.”
“A sovereign country is one capable of creating the opportunities its people need to achieve their own independence,” he stated.
“We defend free trade. No foreign ruler has the right to tell us from whom we can buy and to whom we can sell. We are a sovereign country and our decisions belong to us and no one else,” he added.
He also highlighted the exploration of rare earth elements in the country and oil in the Amazon River estuary.
He stated that the Senate’s approval of the bill creating the National Policy on Critical and Strategic Minerals (PNMCE), with a guarantee fund to stimulate projects and a tax credit of R$ 5 billion (US$ 975 million) to encourage mineral processing in the country.
“The legal framework that will allow Brazil to transform its enormous reserves of critical minerals and rare earth elements into development and wealth for the Brazilian people has been approved in the National Congress,” he affirmed.
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