Second presidency of Lula da Silva
The second presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva started on 1 January 2023, when he was inaugurated as the 39th President of Brazil. Lula was elected for a third term as President of Brazil on 30 October 2022, by obtaining 50.9% of the valid votes in the 2022 Brazilian general election, defeating his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. Lula is the first Brazilian president to ever be elected more than twice as well as being the oldest person to ever be elected president in Brazil. Background

On 20 May 2021, in an interview with French magazine Paris Match, Lula confirmed that he was a pre-candidate for the next year's elections. The Workers' Party national committee, on 13 April 2022, approved the nomination of former Governor of São Paulo Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) for vice president. The ticket was officialized on 7 May, in a coalition formed by the Brazil of Hope Federation (formed by Workers' Party, Communist Party of Brazil and Green Party), Brazilian Socialist Party, Solidarity and PSOL REDE Federation. With the withdrawal of André Janones on 4 August, the ticket received official support of Avante and Agir. On 2 October, the day of the first round, Lula placed first with 48.43% of the valid votes, leading to a runoff with Jair Bolsonaro, who garnered 43.20% of the valid votes. Lula was elected in the second round, on 30 October, being the first President of Brazil elect for three terms and the first since Getúlio Vargas to be elected for a non-consecutive term. He was inaugurated on 1 January 2023. On 1 January 2023 Lula and Geraldo Alckmin were sworn in as president and vice-president of Brazil, respectively, for the time between January 1, 2023, and January 4, 2027. Government plan

Lula has as some of his main proposals in his government plan: "the reconstruction of the country facing the economic crisis; with democracy, sovereignty, and peace; with the economic development and stability; with the fight against poverty; with education; with the implementation of a National System of Culture and extension of housing programs". Planned executive decisions
Lula's administration planned several decisions reversing those made by Bolsonaro's administration, including:

Withdraw from the Geneva Consensus Declaration
Rejoin the Union of South American Nations and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States
Restore recognition of Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela and reopen the Brazilian embassy in Caracas
Restore goals of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions according to the Paris Agreement
Restore monitoring against deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and illegal mining
Relaunch the Growth Acceleration Program
Relaunch the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program

Transition

In his victory speech, Lula adopted a moderate tone, saying he wants to "pacify the country". The new government will face a very conservative Congress, with many former ministers and people close to the Bolsonarism. On 1 November 2022, Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin was appointed as coordinator of the government-elect transition team. On 3 November, Alckmin and the Chief of Staff of the Presidency, Ciro Nogueira, had a meeting to being the government transition. The Vice President-elect also met with political leaderships, aiming to adjust the federal budget in 2022, to enable the objectives of the future administration. 2023 invasion of the Brazilian Congress 

In response to an attack by supporters of former President Bolsonaro on the Praça dos Três Poderes, Lula announced that he had signed a decree declaring a state of emergency in the Federal District until the end of January. Domestic affairs 
Right after taking office on January 1, 2023, President Lula and his ministers took several measures to revert Bolsonaro's administration policies and/or create policies announced during the election campaign and the transition of power. On the same day of his inauguration, Lula signed his first decrees, in an act that became known as "revogaço" (mass repeal of decrees), revoking the previous government's measures involving weapons, environment policies and top officials' data secrecy; According to Environment and Climate Change Minister Marina Silva, another "revogaço" is yet to come. The current "teto de gastos" (debt ceiling) fiscal policy, seen as impractical by government officials, is also expected to be replaced with other debt limit. On January 2, 2023, more "revogaços" happened, measures included stopping the privatization process of eight state-owned companies (including the Correios and Petrobras); almost a thousand appointees in federal posts linked in some way to the Bolsonaro government were dismissed. Economy 

On August 11, Lula and ministers unveiled a new Growth Acceleration Program. According to the proposal, an estimated 1.7 trillion reais (worth around 350 billion USD at the time) will be spent over the following 4 years. Of this, 610 billion is expected to be spent on slum urbanisation programs, including the development of housing, public transport, sanitation, and protection from natural disasters. 540 billion is expected to be spent on expanding the electric grid and petrochemical industries. 80% of the newly developed electric production capacity is expected to come from renewable sources. 349 billion is expected to be spent on transportation infrastructure, including for motor vehicles, trains, marine vehicles, and airplanes. Some economists have criticised the plan, citing Brazil's poor track record of investment quality and worries regarding fiscal responsibility. Of the energy investments, 343 billion will be made through Petrobras, a state-owned corporation notable for its involvement in a corruption scandal during Lula's previous presidency. Social policies 
On February 16, Lula increased the value of the minimum wage from 1,302 reals to 1,320 reals, correcting it above inflation. There was also an increase in the exemption from Income tax to 2,640 reals, compared to the previous amount of 1,900 reals. Public housing 

On February 14, Lula, alongside the Governor of Bahia Jerônimo Rodrigues, the Chief of Staff of the Presidency Rui Costa, the President of the Caixa Econômica Federal Maria Rita Serrano, the Minister of Transport Renan Filho, the Minister of Cities Jader Filho, as well as state and municipal authorities (such as the mayor of the city and federal/state deputies from Bahia), announced the return of the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program during a visit to the city of Santo Amaro, Bahia; the program will replace the Bolsonaro government's "Casa Verde e Amarela" program (which in turn had replaced Lula's first "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" program, created during his previous presidency), the program is expected to create over 2 million houses for the low-income population by the end of 2026 (the last year of Lula's presidency). The program was also restructured, with the proposal to serve families with a monthly income of up to R$8,000 in urban areas, and an annual income of up to R$96,000 in rural areas. Fight against hunger 
On February 28, 2023, Lula reinstalled the National Council for Food and Nutritional Security (Consea), deactivated by Bolsonaro in 2019. On March 22, he relaunched the Program of Food Acquisition (PAA), whose objective is to guarantee food and nutritional security and encourage the production of food from family farms. Environment 
On the day of his inauguration, Lula revoked a decree by Bolsonaro that allowed mining in indigenous lands, which was seen as an incentive to illegal miners. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest fell 61% in January 2023 from a year earlier following a series of anti-logging and anti-mining operations launched by government agencies under Lula, satellite data showed. In July 2023, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon was reported to have fallen 34% over the previous six months while deforestation in the Brazilian Atlantic forest dropped 42% from January to May 2023 comparatively to the same period of time in 2022. Education and research 

On January 2, Lula revoked a bill made during the Bolsonaro government, which created schools exclusively for persons with disabilities. On January 11, Lula signed in a bill called the "National Digital Education Policy", which deals with expanding access to digital education in the country. Another measure taken by the government was the increase in the amount for research grants, Lula later stated that "this government is forbidden to treat [as] wasted money that goes to education, money that goes to scholarships, money that goes to health care". The National Science and Technology Council (CCT) and the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development were also restructured, with the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Luciana Santos saying that the government would prioritize investments in that area. On 16 February, Lula announced the readjustment in the value of scholarships during a event in the Planalto Palace. On 10 March, Lula announced a readjustment in the values of the school meals of public schools, after having been frozen for more than five years. The increase is 39% and the value is 5.5 billion per year. On April, after severe pressure from Student and Teacher unions, the Ministry of Education announced the temporary suspension of the "New High School" program, however, there was no revocation of the project, and it would later be reinstated on August by Minister of Education Camilo Santana. Also on April, Lula announced that the government would invest over 6 billion in a project to restart the construction of several works in the education area, such as public schools. On July, the Ministry of Education announced that the federal program for creation of civic-military schools would be stopped, and that each state would have the option to keep or extinguish the program. Healthcare 
On January 20, Lula signed a bill that recognizes community and disease control agents as health professionals. Also on January 20, under pressure from religious entities, Lula created the "Department of Support for Therapeutic Communities", aimed at treating drug addicts; After the measure was criticized by human rights organizations, the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger announced that it would review the decision. The Brazilian Association of Mental Health had also spoken out against the measure in a repudiation note. On March 8, International Women's Day, Lula announced the creation of the "Program for the Protection and Promotion of Menstrual Dignity", which provides distribution of menstrual pads by the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) to people in vulnerable situations, below the Poverty threshold. The document regulates the Law nº 14.214/2021, which had been vetoed by Jair Bolsonaro in 2021. 8 million people will benefit from the initiative, according to specialists, with an investment of 418 million reals per year, according to the Ministry of Health. On March 20, Lula and the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, announced the re-creation of the "Mais Médicos" program, first created in 2013 with the purpose of expanding the number of health professionals in less economically developed areas and in the interior of the country. The program had been partially replaced by Bolsonaro's "Doctors for Brazil"; The "Mais Médicos para o Brasil", as it is now called, should prioritize Brazilian professionals and, according to Paulo Pimenta, chief minister of the Secretary of Social Communication, increase the number of health professionals and improve the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Infrastructure

Energy 
The Lula government inaugurated, on March 22, the first hybrid Renewable energy park in the country authorized by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel): the "Neo-energy Renewable Complex – Fountain Wind Farm", which consists of renewable Wind power and solar energy, located in Santa Luzia, Paraíba. In a meeting with the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, President Lula showed support for the use of electricity derived from renewable sources, in particular for reducing the cost of the service, especially for the poor; Also, goals were discussed to place Brazil in a "leading global position in the generation of clean energy", in addition to encouraging more sustainable public transport. Transport 
Despite normally being categorized as centre-left, the Lula government continued with the privatization of elements of the Brazilian infrastructure, such as in May 2023, when it carried out the auction of the Natal International Airport through its Ministry of Ports and Airports, which resulted in the purchase of this airfield by the Swiss state-owned company Flughafen Zürich AG (Zurich Airport Ltd.). Human rights

Women's rights 

To guarantee policies that secure women's rights, the Lula government created, on March 8, the International Women's Day, numerous actions and measures for this purpose. One of the measures was the Equal Pay Bill, which requires companies to be more transparent and strengthen inspection and combat wage discrimination between women and men. On April 4, lula decreed that Women's police stations would be open 24/7, even on holidays; another measure was also made, with the objective of fighting sexual harassment in public agencies and private institutions that provide services to the government. Racial equality 
On January 11, lula signed in a bill that equalized the crime of "racial injury" to racism. On March 21, on the National Day to Combat Racial Discrimination, Lula signed the Racial Equality Bill, made up of seven measures, among which is the "Aquilomba Brasil" program and the goal of having black people in at least 30% of commissioned positions and functions. Indigenous affairs 
Upon taking office, Lula also issued the Provisional measure No. 1,154, of 1 January 2023, which created the Ministry of Indigenous People, and also renamed the Fundação Nacional do Índio (National Indian Foundation – FUNAI) with the name of Fundação Nacional dos Povos Indígenas (National Indigenous People Foundation), in addition to linking this foundation authority to the newly created ministry. He appointed Sônia Guajajara as Indigenous minister, and Joênia Wapixana to head FUNAI. Yanomami crisis 

On January 20, the Brazilian Ministry of Health declared a national emergency following reports of deaths among Yamomami children due to malnutrition and easily curable diseases. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva accused Jair Bolsonaro's administration of having committed genocide against the Yanomami. LGBT rights 

On April 7, 2023, Lula re-established the National Council for LGBTQIA+ Rights, a 38-member body of advisors charged with proposing policies and supporting campaigns aimed towards support for the LGBTQIA+ community in Brazil. The Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship will be charged with funding for the council. The body previously existed from 2010 until the Bolsonaro presidency. Other policies 
On January 1, Lula created the Secretary of Digital Policies, whose goal is to "combat disinformation, fake news and hate speech on the internet", as well as to "encourage pluralism", this secretary is subordinated to the Secretary of Social Communication (Secom). On the same day, Lula decreed the temporary suspension of authorization for new shooting clubs. On January 6, Lula signed into law a bill creating the Day of the Traditional African religions. On January 11, Lula signed into law another bill, which makes the CPF the only necessary document for identification. On the same day, Lula created the "National Policy for the Prevention of Self-Mutilation and Suicide", with the objective of giving mental health support for public security agents. Lula shifted the National Council of Traditional Peoples and Communities (CNPCT) from the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. In addition, Lula established a National Secretariat for Traditional Peoples and Communities and Sustainable Rural Development under the same ministry. Foreign affairs 

Lula stated during the 2022 election campaign and after taking office that his administration will consistently focus on to "bring back Brazil to the world stage", meaning the country will seek to rebuild ties cut or damaged during Bolsonaro's presidency, and expand its foreign relations worldwide. On 9 December 2022 Lula announced that to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty) he had chosen Brazilian ambassador, career diplomat and former foreign minister Mauro Vieira. As an effort to empower women diplomats, he picked ambassador and career diplomat Maria Laura da Rocha as Itamaraty's deputy foreign minister and Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti as Brazil's ambassador to the US, both the first women to ever hold those positions. More women are also expected to be appointed to top positions. Americas

Mercosur 

In January, 2023, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira announced Brazil's return to the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). During the 7th CELAC summit, president Lula expressed support for a modernization of the South American customs union Mercosur and the creation of a common unit of account between Argentina and Brazil which other South American nations could also join to boost regional integration and skip US dollar dominance. On January 25, during a trip to Uruguay, Lula called for the European Union-Mercosur trade deal to be sealed and a China-Mercosur trade agreement to be explored. Lula and Uruguayan president Luis Lacalle Pou held talks over infrastructure projects to be developed in Uruguay, including a joint Uruguayan-Brazilian administration of the Rivera International Airport. In March 2023, Uruguayan and Brazilian top officials jointly detailed the said infrastructure projects in Brasilia. Brazil also invited Paraguay and Uruguay to join the works of the G20 ahead of the 2024 G20 Brazil summit, as Brazilian rotating presidency in the group begins on December 1, 2023. In May 2023, Brazil hosted the South American Summit, attended by Lula and leaders of all South American nations, including Guyanese president Irfaan Ali, Surinamese president Chan Santokhi and Ecuadorian president Guillermo Lasso. The initiative aimed to seek regional cooperation in South America and address topics such as energy, finance, climate change and crime. Argentina 

After assuming the presidency, Lula made his first international trip as president to Buenos Aires, where he announced that Brazil would resume its relations with Latin America and that the government would be willing to finance infrastructure works in neighboring countries through the BNDES again. Lula also defended the construction of a gas pipeline between Brazil and Argentina to transport the shale gas extracted in the Vaca Muerta field. The idea was criticized by some experts, as the project may cause damage to the region's environment. The announcement also generated several criticisms from economists, as this practice has already caused the country to suffer from defaults in the past. In May 2023, Lula and Fernández met in Brasília to discuss the economic crisis in Argentina as well as trade and energy between Argentina and Brazil. President Lula stated that he has committed to make "each and every sacrifice so we can help Argentina in those hard times" including reaching out to both the IMF and the BRICS and that he will back up Brazilian exporters operating in the country. In late June 2023, president Lula welcomed Fernández in Brasília to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Argentina during which Fernández was rewarded with Brazil's highest award the Order of the Southern Cross. Lula said Brazil and Argentina were looking into a broad line of credit for Brazilian companies and workers in Argentina and the creation of a trade coin between both nations. Colombia 
In July 2023, Lula and Colombian president Gustavo Petro met in Leticia to discuss the details of an Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) summit scheduled to take place a month later. Both presidents also discussed trade and defense between Colombia and Brazil. Cuba 
On September 15, Lula and four of his cabinet minister visited Cuba where they met with Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel. During his visit, Lula also attended a summit of the Group of 77 plus China in Havana where he lamented the United States embargo against Cuba stating that the island "is the victim of an illegal economic embargo. Brazil is against any unilateral coercive measure". Lula also criticized the inclusion of Cuba in the US list of states sponsors of terrorism. Mexico 
In March 2023, Brazilian presidential office said Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador invited Lula to visit Mexico and discuss expanding economic cooperation between Mexico and Brazil including the removal of trade tariffs between their countries. United States 

In January 2023, US president Joe Biden invited Lula to meet him in Washington, D.C. in February 2023 following a phone conversation between them on the 2023 Brazilian Congress attack. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the meeting adding that it would address "U.S. support of Brazil's democracy and how the two countries can continue to work together to promote inclusion and democratic values in the region and around the world". Climate change, migration, economic development and security matters were also discussed. In February 2023, Lula and a delegation including his Foreign Affairs special advisor Celso Amorim, Foreign minister Mauro Vieira, Finance minister Fernando Haddad, Racial Equality minister Anielle Franco, Environment e Climate Justice minister Marina Silva traveled to the US. During the trip Lula met with US Senator Bernie Sanders, Democratic House Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Pramila Jayapal, Sheila Jackson Lee, Brad Sherman and Ro Khanna before he met with US president Joe Biden at the White House. On February 10, at a meeting with American president Joe Biden, Lula proposed the creation of a group of negotiators made up of countries "not involved in the war" (either directly or indirectly, i.e. by sending weapons to one of the sides) between Russia and Ukraine to negotiate an end to the conflict and invited the US to join Brazil in a new global climate governance On February 28, Brazilian Environment minister Marina Silva met with John Kerry, the White House envoy for climate change during his visit to Brazil, and announced the resumption of a US-Brazil environment group created in 2015 to debate energy transition, low carbon economy, climate change mitigation, indigenous peoples protection and bioconomy among others between the two countries. Nevertheless, no contribution to the Amazon Fund was announced by Kerry during the visit. In September 2023, Lula and Biden met on the sidelines of the 78th United National General Assembly (UNGA), in New York, to launch an initiative to promote worker's rights. Venezuela 
In May 2023, ahead of a South American summit to which all the presidents of the region were invited, Lula met with Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and stated that "you know the narrative that was built against Venezuela, of anti-democracy, of authoritarianism" and "it is in your hands, comrade, to build your narrative and turn this party around so that we can definitively win and Venezuela becomes a sovereign country again where only its people, through a free vote, say who will govern". Chilean president Gabriel Boric and Uruguayan president Luis Lacalle Pou, who were some of the summit attendees, disapproved of Lula's comments. Europe

European Union 

In January 2023, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin met with Vice President Frans Timmermans of the EU Commission in Brasilia. During his visit to Brazil, Timmermans said that President Lula's efforts to end destruction in the Amazon deserves support and cooperation from the European Union, adding that the EU could donate up to €750,000 to help the Yanomami people facing a humanitarian crisis. In March 2023, the EU's commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager met with Vice President Alckmin and other Brazilian officials during a meeting in Brasilia to unveil the EU-Brazil bilateral Investment Map. In June 2023, Lula met with EU president Ursula von der Leyen to discuss areas such as environment, science and technology and trade, namely the EU-Mercosur trade deal. Lula expressed concerns over a European Union's side letter proposal of sanctioning Mercosur goods in case they fail to meet environmental goals saying that "between partners there should be mutual confidence not mistrust and sanctions" and that the sanctions could hurt genuine Brazilian green efforts. During the meeting the European Union pledged to donate 20 million euros to the Amazon Fund. In July 2023, numerous Latin American, Caribbean and European leaders, including Lula, attended the  summit in Brussels to discuss topics such as global hunger, inequalities, poverty and climate change. On the sidelines of the summit, Lula made the case for the EU-Mercosur trade deal and expressed concern for protectionist policies in the agreement. He also met with King Philippe of Belgium and Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo as well as with former Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven, Dannish prime minister Mette Frederiksen and other leaders. France 

In February 2023, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna met with President Lula and stated that "Brazil is one of the main actors on the global stage and its comeback is highly expected", highlighting that France and Brazil share a strong, centuries-old relationship. She also said that France supports a Brazilian OECD membership and that both France and the European Union are considering monetary contributions to the Amazon Fund. On 11 February, French president Emmanuel Macron expressed his approval for a peace plan on the Russia-Ukraine war proposed by Lula, which consists of creating a group of countries not involved in the conflict (either directly or indirectly, i.e. by sending weapons to one of the sides) to mediate a peace process. On June 3, 2023, Macron's office said Lula confirmed he would visit Paris in late June as part of the "Summit for a New Global Financial Pact" promoted by France to "tackle the reform of multilateral development banks (MDB), the debt crisis, financing for green technologies, the creation of new international taxes and financing instruments", among other things. On June 22, president Lula delivered a speech during the Power Our Planet festival in Paris in which he said "actually, those who have polluted the planet over the last two centuries are the same ones who made the Industrial Revolution, and that's why they must pay their debt to the planet Earth" while calling for climate justice to Latin-American, African and Asian peoples and inviting the world to attend the COP30 climate conference in the Brazilian city of Belém. On June 23, Lula separately met with French president Emmanuel Macron and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo. Germany 

In January 2023, Germany ambassador to Brazil Heiko Thoms confirmed Chancellor Olaf Scholz would visit Brazil on 30 January. According to a statement, the main subjects to be addressed would be environment (including the re-establishment of the Amazon Fund) and trade between Germany and Brazil. On 30 January, Germany development minister Svenja Schulze announced the country will donate €204 million (USD 222 million) to Brazil aiming to help restore farming degraded areas through low-interest rate loans, as well as it will make fresh monetary contributions to the Amazon Fund and provide local aid to Brazilian states in the Amazon region; new sustainable agriculture and green hydrogen projects in Brazil are also being looked upon by the German government, according to Schulze. During the meeting with Scholz, Lula proposed creating a group of countries, including India, Indonesia and China, that would "mediate a peace process" in the Russo-Ukrainian War. In March 2023, Germany's Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, as well as several German business people, attended the  in Belo Horizonte where they met with vice-president Geraldo Alckmin. Italy 

In an interview to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on June 20, Lula asserted that Italy is a priority for Brazil, especially because Brazil has "30 million Brazilians of Italian descent and great relations with Italian trade unions, intellectuals and companies." On June 20, Lula met with left-wing sociologist and professor emeritus at the Sapienza University of Rome Domenico De Masi during his visit to Rome. On June 21, Lula met with General Secretary of the Democratic Party (PD), Elly Schlein, and former Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema, with whom he reportedly had talks about "democracy, world peace, climate change, inequality and challenges common to several countries". Brazilian government officials also said that Lula and Schlein had a talk about "gender violence and sexism in politics". Lula also met and dined with Italian president Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace to reportedly discuss about the relations between Brazil and Italy, as well as the Mercosur-European Union deal. Upon returning from his visit to the Vatican, he also had a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Chigi Palace. During an interview to the press after the meeting, he praised Meloni, saying that "ideological differences wouldn't end diplomacy" between the two countries. Lula also had a meeting and private dinner with Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Vatican 

Lula met with Pope Francis on the Vatican City on June 12 after his diner with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, during the meeting at Paul VI's room, they reportedly discussed "peace and reconciliation, environmental preservation, respect for indigenous populations and the fight against hunger, inequality and poverty in the world", according to Brazilian and Holy See officials, although there was no explicit mention to the current Russo-Ukrainian war, Lula reportedly wanted to talk about a possible peaceful solution of the conflict with the Pope, but neither side mentioned any talks about that particular subject. Lula gave the Pope an engraving of the Holy Family made by Pernambuco artist J. F. Borges, while Rosângela brought the Pontiff an image of Our Lady of Nazaré, patroness of the Amazon, while the Pope gave Lula and Janja a bronze art with the phrase "Peace is a fragile flower", he also presented the couple with a copy of his Message of Peace for 2023, the document on Human Fraternity and the book with the prayer he did in a deserted St. Peter's Square, on March 27, 2020, praying for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lula and Janja also invited the priest to travel to Pará to participate in the "Círio" in October of this year, but acceptance must depend on the state of health of the Pontiff, who was discharged from his most recent hospitalization, the second in two months, on Friday, after the meeting with the Pope, Lula had met with Dom Edgar Peña Parra, responsible for General Affairs at the Vatican Secretariat of State. In both meetings, according to him, "the good relations between Brazil and the Holy See and the harmonious collaboration between the Church and the State in favor of the promotion of moral values and the common good" were highlighted. Portugal 

In November 2022, then president-elect Lula visited Portugal after attending the COP27 in Egypt, making it his first bilateral trip after being elected. He met with Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and prime minister António Costa. In March 2023, Brazilian minister Alexandre Padilha confirmed Lula's first visit to Portugal as president. In April 2023, President Lula began his four-day trip during which he called Portugal relations with Brazil "extraordinary" and stated that "Portugal is not simply a foreign country but our home extension". In the 13th Brazil-Portugal Summit the countries signed several agreements such as a mutual recognition of professional degrees, driver's licenses, rights of persons with disabilities and a witness protection program in both countries. Other agreements signed during the visit include education, science, tourism, energy and audiovisual areas. Lula also attended a high-level Brazilian-Portuguese business meeting in Matosinhos in which Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer and four Portuguese companies (OGMA, EMPORDEF, GMVIS Skysof and CEiiA) announced a deal to build a Brazilian-designed aircraft. Also in the meeting, Prime Minister António Costa announced Portugal companies EDP and Galp will be investing a total of €5.7 billion in projects in Brazil over the next years. On April 24, President Lula took part in a ceremony at the Queluz Palace to award Brazilian singer and songwriter Chico Buarque the Camões Prize. Spain 

In April 2023, President Lula met with union leaders and took part in the Brazil-Spain Business Forum in Madrid. On April 26, Lula, alongside several of his cabinet ministers, met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace, where he signed two different deals regarding education and work areas, which includes facilitating student exchange programs between universities in both countries, expanding cooperation between in higher education and adopting regulations for IT companies Later on that day, Lula, First Lady Rosângela and FM Mauro Vieira met with King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace of Madrid. United Kingdom 

In May 2023, Lula and First Lady Rosângela travelled to the United Kingdom to attend the coronation of Charles III and Camilla and had a separate meeting with the King. Lula also met with the UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who announced his country was donating £80 million (BRL 500 million) to the Amazon Fund initiative, run by Brazil. During his trip, Lula called for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, adding that "we talk about freedom of speech [but] the guy is in prison because he denounced wrongdoing" and "it is an embarrassment that a journalist who denounced trickery by one state against another is arrested, condemned to die in jail and we do nothing to free him. It's a crazy thing." Lula urged to create an international media movement to lobby for Assange's release. Russian-Ukrainian war 
President Lula has taken a neutral instance on the war in Ukraine while highlighting the human cost of the war, as well as its impact on food security, cost of living and global supply chains, among others, as he has stated the importance of a peace process led by non-directly or indirectly involved nations such as India, Indonesia and China. In January 2023, Lula stated that he was "against the occupation Russia has done in Ukraine" for which he was praised by the Ukrainian World Congress

During his trip to the US in February 2023, Lula and US president Joe Biden jointly criticized Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. On February 24, 2023, Brazil voted to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine at the UNGA. In April 2023, Lula commenting on peace negotiations said "Putin must not take the Ukrainian territory. Crimea might not be on the table, but when it comes to what he [Putin] invaded again, he must reconsider it", with some media outlets mistranslating his statements as urging Ukraine to give up Crime to Russia. Lula has also insisted in seeking peace, which is a binding foreign policy principle under the current pacifist Constitution , as he turned down Brazilian military weaponry sales proposed by Germany to be sent to Ukraine. In April 2023, Lula stated after a state visit to China that "the United States needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace". U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby responded by accusing Lula of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda", describing his comments as "simply misguided" and "suggesting the United States and Europe are somehow not interested in peace, or that we share responsibility for the war." On May 19, 2023, Lula said he was "upset" after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelesnkyy did not attend a meeting between both on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. On May 22, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that Denmark was interested in hosting a summit aimed at "finding peace between Ukraine and Russia." but "it is necessary to build interest and involvement from countries like India, Brazil and China." In September 2023, Lula and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on the sidelines of the 78th United National General Assembly (UNGA), in New York. Lula pledged to maintain an open dialogue between their countries to end the war. Asia

China 

In February, 2023, Reuters reported that President Lula would meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping during a four-day trip to China on 28 March to hold talks about trade, including green economy, digital inclusion, reindustrialization and the Russia-Ukraine War. On 17 March 2023, Itamaraty confirmed Lula's trip to China, adding that he would also meet with Chinese premier Li Qiang and National People's Congress chairman Zhao Leji. A week later, New Development Bank (NDB), whose headquarters are in Shanghai, elected Brazilian former president Dilma Rousseff as its new CEO after president Lula made his official appointment. On 24 March, however, due to health issues Lula canceled his trip which was later rescheduled for April 11–14. As part of a separate high-level business forum between Brazilian and Chinese officials and hundreds of business people in Beijing, both countries announced on March 29 they were starting to trade in their own currencies (the Real and the Renmimbi) instead of in the US dollar. In April 2023, President Lula, who was accompanied by many of his cabinet ministers, Brazilian state governors and lawmakers, met with Chinese deputy foreign minister Xie Feng upon their arrival in Shangai, where Lula also attended Brazilian former president Dilma Rousseff inauguration as the new NDB CEO, visited a Huawei center and spoke with several Chinese chairpeople including BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) CEO Wang Tongzhou. During his stay in Shanghai, Lula criticized US dollar dominance stating "Who was it that decided that the dollar was the currency after the disappearance of the gold standard?" and "why can't we do trade based on our own currencies?". He also urged developing nations to find an alternative currency to the dollar. On April 14, President Lula separately met with Congress chairman Zhao Leji, Chinese premier Li Qiang and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing and signed numerous agreements (worth BRL 50 billion – nearly USD 10.1 billion) aiming at mutual cooperation such as to further develop the CBERS-4 constellation, to create a pannel to follow the Sustainable Development Goals in both countries and to open a Sino-Brazilian trade fair mainly focused on green, low-carbon economy and digitalization, among other agreements. China and Brazil also urged developed countries to speed up climate change mitigation funds following the rich countries' commitment at the COP 15 to donate US$100 billion a year to do so from 2009 on. Japan 
On March 21, Japanese ambassador to Brazil Teiji Hayashi confirmed that prime minister Fumio Kishida would invite president Lula to the 49th G7 summit to be held from 19 to 21 May 2023 in Hiroshima, which formally took place on April 6. In May 2023, Kishida met with Lula and announced that Japan was starting procedures to grant Brazilians travel visa exemptions and was opening a ¥30 billion line of credit to support health companies and other businesses in Brazil through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Lula said Brazil and Japan need to further develop their commercial, cultural, political and scientific relationship adding that "we have cultural bonds with Japan and a great Japanese-Brazilian community". Both leaders also discussed education, climate change, development and peace. United Arab Emirates 

In April 2023, President Lula visited the UAE where he met with sheikh and Emirati president Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the visit, Emirati state-owned Mubadala Investment Company announced a deal to invest up to $2.5 billion in biofuels in a refinery in Brazil. The countries signed a series of agreements including one aimed at mutual cooperation against climate change and another on artificial intelligence. Lula also meet with the organizers of the COP28 which will take place in Abu Dhabi in late 2023. Africa 

In February 2023, President Lula said he was planning to visit Angola, Mozambique and South Africa, and that Brazil should "repay its historical, cultural debt with Africa" through strengthening scientific and technological assistance to African nations. Angola 
In August 2023, Lula visited Angola, and met with president João Manuel Lourenço, whom he signed seven cooperation agreements in areas such as agriculture, health and education. During his two-day trip Lula was awarded an order of merit, and paid tribute to Angolan independence wartime statesman António Agostinho Neto. He also said Brazil considers opening a general-consulate in Luanda. Cape Verde 
In May 2023, Lula met with Cape Verde prime minister Ulisses Correia e Silva in Brasilia. Correia e Silva said his country could play an important role in bringing Brazil closer to ECOWAS countries while Lula stated that "Brazil believes in a solidary, mutually beneficial South-South cooperation based on shared experiences" between countries with Africa being a top priority. Lula said that he intends to step up cooperation programs with Cape Verde in education and agriculture areas and that he plans to visit at least two African countries in 2023, namely Cape Verde and South Africa, respectively for the 2023 CPLP Summit and the 15th BRICS summit. In July 2023, Lula visited Cape Verde and met with president José Maria Neves who greeted "Brazil's comeback to international forums". Lula said he wants to "recover the good and productive relations Brazil used to have with Africa", and expressed his desire to open more Brazilian embassies in African countries and to pay another visit to Cape Verde to attend to 2023 CPLP Summit. Oceania

Australia 
On March 10, 2022, Brazil's Agriculture Ministry announced the country was holding talks with Australia about agricultural trade agreements regarding wheat, barley and pork trade as well as sustainable agriculture including research projects between both countries. International organizations and forums

Global Compact for Migration 
On January 8, 2023, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira announced Brazil rejoined the Global Compact for Migration from which the Bolsonaro administration withdrew on January 9, 2019 The UNHCR welcomed the decision stating that ensures "the people's rights and the means so that migrants and refugees can contribute positively to the host countries". According to the Foreign Ministry, the party's mutual benefits of the pact also reflect on the "Brazilian government's commitment to the protection and promotion of the rights of more than 4 million Brazilians living abroad". Geneva Consensus Declaration 
On January 17, Lula withdrew Brazil from the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family. Signed by Bolsonaro in 2020, the document stated that "there is no international right to abortion nor any international obligation on the part of States to finance or facilitate abortion". The document, which also limits families to only those formed by heterosexual couples, was signed by countries such as Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Egypt, Indonesia, Hungary, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Belarus, as well as the United States (which left the declaration in 2021), totaling 31 countries. United Nations Climate Change Conference 
On November 1, 2022, the COP27 host Egypt invited then President-elect Lula to visit the summit which raised hopes among climate activists and international organizations officials that Brazil will strengthen its environmental policies. Lula accepted the invitation and, while attending the COP27, promised to fight for a zero deforestation in the Amazon and other biomes. He also promised to have a United Nations Climate Change conference held in the Amazon. On 11 January 2023, Lula announced Brazil was making an official bid for the Brazilian city of Belém to host the COP 30. In May 2023, the UN announced that Belém had been chosen to host the summit, a first for a city in the Amazon region. Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization 

On 4 January 2023, it was reported that Brazil was seeking an Amazon summit between members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) and other non-members, which was reportedly well received by the ACTO countries. On January 26, Lula invited French president Emmanuel Macron to attend the ACTO summit due to the French department of French Guiana location in the Amazon region. BRICS Summits 

Lula attended the 15th BRICS summit in August 2023. During the event he spoke in favor of more countries joining the BRICS, including Brazil's neighbor Argentina and Indonesia; called for a common currency between BRICS members and said the group is not meant to challenge either the G7 or the US. Lula criticized the United Nations Security Council which he considered to be "limited" in face of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and reiterated Brazil's position of "defending sovereignty, territorial integrity" and the principles of the United Nations. International aid 
On February 8, 2023, President Lula authorized immediate emergency aid, including several Brazilian fire brigades, Brazilian Air Force air tankers and other emergency services and equipment to be sent to Chile after severe wildfires broke out across the country. In the following day, Brazil sent aid, rescue crews, including search and rescue dogs, among other equipment and staff to Turkey and Syria following the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake. In July 2023, Lula sent Brazilian firefighters teams to Canada to help with the 2023 Central Canada wildfires. Controversies

Appointment of ministers 
Some controversies surrounded the Lula government during the first month of his third term. In early January, the NGO Transparency International, which works worldwide to fight corruption, issued a statement criticizing the government for choosing Waldez Góes as Minister of National Integration, Waldez was previously sentenced to prison for embezzlement. In the same month Minister of Tourism Daniela Carneiro came under scrutiny for her association with individuals believed to command militias in Rio de Janeiro. See also
First presidency of Lula da Silva
List of executive orders by Lula da Silva
Lulism
Politics of Brazil
Workers' Party (Brazil)

Notes

References

2023 establishments in Brazil
2020s in Brazilian politics
Lula, second
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva