Oct 24 2025| Nº. 179

Editorial

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva traveled to Indonesia and Malaysia this week for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. It is widely expected that the Brazilian president will meet his U.S. counterpart in person at length for the first time on Sunday, October 26. While the White House confirmed Trump’s attendance, it made no mention of a bilateral meeting, leaving open the possibility of informal talks on the sidelines. The prospect of even a brief conversation follows their fleeting exchange at the UN General Assembly last month and a longer phone call earlier this month reportedly characterized by a surprising degree of warmth between the two leaders. The ASEAN summit comes as Lula looks to recalibrate relations with Washington, which have been cold at best since President Trump imposed severe tariffs this summer. For Lula, who has long felt comfortable in international fora, meeting Trump is an opportunity to demonstrate his diplomatic tact ahead of an election year.

The regional context surrounding any such meeting is increasingly tense. Earlier this week, reports of renewed U.S. surveillance flights and covert military exercises near Venezuelan territory reignited speculation that the U.S. government is once again exploring ways to destabilize the Nicolás Maduro regime. Trump has confirmed that the CIA is conducting covert activities in Venezuela and has discussed the situation in notably bellicose terms. The increasing temperature of Trump’s hemispheric relations has unsettled regional capitals and prompted concern in Brasília. Lula’s government, though critical of Maduro, has condemned the prospect of any external intervention and warned of the humanitarian and security fallout for Brazil’s northern border. The episode underscores the fine line Lula must walk — reaffirming Brazil’s democratic principles and regional leadership while avoiding entanglement in a new wave of U.S.-driven confrontations.

At home, political attention continued to center on Lula’s pending nomination to the Supreme Federal Court. Reports indicated that Attorney General Jorge Messias had emerged as Lula’s clear favorite for the consequential role, though he has delayed a formal commitment as he weighs the political impact of his decision. Lula also named Congressman Guilherme Boulos to a role in the cabinet this week with the specific aim of bolstering ties to social movements. Both moves signal an effort to consolidate the governing coalition ahead of the 2026 election, even as critics warn that such decisions risk blurring the boundary between institutional independence and political loyalty.

Highlights

• Further to the left. Lula appointed Guilherme Boulos to head the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, responsible for liaising with civil society. The change signals a more left-wing alignment, in contrast to the rhetoric of broad alliances made in the last election to defeat Jair Bolsonaro. Boulos is one of the leaders of the Homeless Movement, which fights for housing in São Paulo. He is a member of the PSOL, a left-wing splinter group of Lula's PT party, and has received growing support from the president to the point of being considered his possible political heir.

• Reelection. President Lula emphatically and categorically stated that he will run in the Brazilian presidential elections in October 2026. The statement was made during an official trip to Jakarta, Indonesia. Lula previously served two consecutive terms, from 2003 to 2011, and returned to power in 2023. He completes his current term at the end of next year. Brazil allows a president to run for office as many times as they wish, as long as they do not serve more than two consecutive terms each time. According to a Genial/Quaest poll, 48% of Brazilians approve of the current president's performance. This is the highest level since December 2024.

• Asia Tour. Lula's trip to Indonesia and Malaysia is part of a broader effort to expand international markets for Brazil. This movement was accelerated after the US government imposed some of the highest tariffs in the world on Brazilian products. Days before the Brazilian president landed in Jakarta, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin traveled to India, where he announced the opening of an Embraer office to boost sales of Brazilian aircraft. This year, Lula had already visited China, Japan, and Vietnam. He is also expected to travel to India next year.

• Blind. The Ethics Committee of the Chamber of Deputies dismissed the request to impeach Federal Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has been in the United States since February lobbying to protect his father from legal liability arising from his involvement in the coup plot. The Workers' Party (PT) had filed a complaint against Eduardo for inciting actions by a foreign nation against Brazil and for internationally embarrassing the Brazilian Supreme Court. However, the majority of the Committee's members decided that the deputy's actions should be protected by freedom of expression.

News from ABO and social organizations and movements:

Truth Commission. Organizations that are part of the Forum for Memory, Truth, Comprehensive Reparation, Non-Repetition, and Justice for Indigenous Peoples submitted this week to the Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sonia Guajajara a proposal to create a National Truth Commission for Indigenous Peoples. This commission would work on the issue of transitional justice for native peoples affected by the violence of the military dictatorship (1964-1985) and other periods in Brazilian history. This same request had been presented to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) by a delegation of Brazilian civil society organizations that traveled to Washington in September in a trip organized by the WBO. Now, the IACHR has issued a statement internationally endorsing the organizations' request.

Vladimir Herzog. On October 25, a large event will take place in São Paulo in memory of Vladimir Herzog, a journalist murdered 50 years ago by the military dictatorship. The day before, in Rio de Janeiro, a ceremony was held to honor all victims of repression by the regime that ruled the country from 1964 to 1985. On the 27th, the Vladimir Herzog Journalism Award for Amnesty and Human Rights will be presented in São Paulo, recognizing the best reports published throughout the year in this field.

Multilateralism. Paulo Abrão, executive director of the WBO Washington Brazil Office, participated this Thursday, October 23 in the international seminar "Another 80 Years? The Possible Future of the UN and Multilateralism in the Face of the Global Far Right. A Latin American Perspective," promoted by the Institute of International Relations at PUC-Rio. Learn more.

Transparency. Transparency International expressed "deep concern and dismay at the statements made during the plenary session of the Supreme Federal Court on October 15, 2025, where Justice Gilmar Mendes once again launched a virulent attack against our organization, its Brazilian section, and its staff." The minister spread false information that Transparency International would receive or manage funds from leniency agreements in Brazil linked to Operation Car Wash. Read the statement.

Sanitation. This week, the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) delivered the first toilet with a rainwater collection and treatment system to a resident of the Belmonte community in Porto Velho. This is part of the Sanear Amazônia Project, a result of the MAB's struggle and organization in the face of the consequences of the climate crisis, which affects populations unevenly across different regions of Brazil. Learn more.

Feature Article

The Strength of Multilateralism: A Tribute to Luz Elena Baños

By Benoni Belli*

After more than six years leading the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Luz Elena Baños will soon leave the position she held with pride, courage, and great distinction. She has been a career diplomat with nearly four decades of service to her country, during which time she accumulated vast experience in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. During this period, she became an expert on a variety of fundamental issues—from security and defense to human rights, gender equality, and development. Luz Elena Baños put all this experience to work strengthening multilateralism at the OAS.

Ambassador Baños embodied better than anyone the values ​​enshrined in the Organization's Charter: the peaceful resolution of disputes; respect for the sovereign equality of States; the primacy of international law; a welcoming and generous vision of human rights; and a democracy based on freedom, equality, and social justice. Armed with these values ​​and commitments, she successfully held leadership positions in OAS bodies, such as chairing the Hemispheric Security Council, the Committee on Migration Affairs, and the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Development Agency, as well as serving as vice-chair of the Permanent Council.

Her astute analytical skills, combined with in-depth knowledge of the dossiers, made her an invaluable reference in any negotiating process. At critical moments for the Organization—whether in budgetary and financial matters or in political crises or humanitarian emergencies—the Mexican representative's contribution stood out not only for her crystal-clear reasoning and logical argumentation, but also for her common sense and, above all, her commitment to negotiated solutions. She did not limit herself, like many, to a rhetorical profession of faith in multilateralism and international law. She combined rhetoric with practical sense in her daily work.

By adopting this stance, she reflected her country's foreign policy, honing this reflection through her diplomatic brilliance. It is no exaggeration to say, pun intended, that Ambassador Luz Elena was a Light during a period characterized by growing tensions, questioning of multilateralism, and the return of anti-Enlightenment and obscurantist conceptions in various corners of the regional and global order. She is the Light Hannah Arendt spoke of in her book Men in Dark Times, the Light of hope even in dark times of moral collapse, when we most need to recover humanism and empathy. And Luz Elena was both a Light and a moral compass during the more than six years she served as permanent representative of her great country.

Ambassador Baños is leaving the OAS, but her legacy will live on. Her inspiring example will continue to be remembered as we face the daily challenges that confront us. Her decisive, firm, yet generous and understanding voice will continue to reverberate in the halls of the Organization. Today, more than ever, celebrating the career of Luz Elena Baños is celebrating multilateralism and international law. It expresses the conviction that international relations need not be reduced to pure power politics, but must be grounded in law and mutual respect, the only way to eliminate obscurantism and chaos, paving the way for the construction of a truly democratic, secure, prosperous, and supportive region. Thank you, Luz, for illuminating this tortuous path.

*Benoni Belli is a career ambassador and Brazil's permanent representative to the Organization of American States (OAS).

Feature articles express the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or WBO.