Sinan Dogan
19 April 2026•Update: 19 April 2026
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday called on the UN Security Council to halt what he described as "war madness," urging world powers to take immediate action to end ongoing conflicts, particularly in the Middle East.
Speaking at an event in Barcelona, Spain, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed the five permanent members of the Security Council – the US, China, Russia, France, and the UK – calling on them to fulfill their responsibility to maintain global peace.
"Fulfill your obligations to guarantee peace in the world, hold a meeting, and put an end to this war madness, because the world can no longer bear it," Lula said.
He also cited a 2010 diplomatic initiative involving Brazil, India, and Türkiye aimed at limiting Iran's uranium enrichment program.
"When we published the agreement, I imagined they would praise us because Iran would not enrich uranium. What happened?
"The EU and the US did not accept the agreement, and now they are again spreading the idea that Iran is building an atomic bomb," he said, referring to one of US President Donald Trump’s justifications for the war on Iran launched with Israel on Feb. 28.
'End that damn embargo on Cuba'
Lula also called for stronger engagement against far-right movements, particularly online, stressing the need for active participation across platforms.
"Fighting on virtual networks is an inevitable task. The far-right shouts, lies and attacks. We must not be afraid to speak with great responsibility to fight them," he added.
Speaking later at the Democracy Defense Summit in Barcelona, Lula urged the US to lift its long-standing embargo on Cuba.
"End that damn embargo on Cuba and allow the Cuban people to live their lives in peace," he said.
He argued that decades of US sanctions had failed to achieve meaningful change.
"Yes, there are problems in Cuba, but those are their problems. It is not Lula's, not Trump's, nor the empire of the moment. So what did this achieve? Nothing.
"Cubans are still there, standing and resisting as best they can. They are only waiting for the world to finally allow them to breathe once," he said.
*Writing by Gizem Nisa Demir in Istanbul
