During the administration of far-right former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, between 2019 and 2022, then-Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo said his office had no problem with Brazil becoming an “international pariah.”
“So be it,” he said. His words were in response to global criticism of Mr. Bolsonaro’s lack of commitment to Brazil’s historic diplomatic prestige. That’s because instead of upholding the tradition of mediating conflicts, Messrs. Bolsonaro and Aráujo were often seen embroiled in controversies and creating narratives against different governments.
When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva returned to the presidency in 2023, many remembered that in his first stint in charge, Brazil was, on the contrary, portrayed as a nation exercising influence as a regional protagonist.
For better or worse, Lula showed that old habits never die.
Earlier this week, the head of state caused an uproar after comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, for the violence perpetrated in Gaza, in response to Hamas terror attacks.
Not surprisingly, his words were vehemently condemned by Israel, whose representatives declared Lula persona non grata for his remarks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even said that Lula “should be ashamed of himself.”
As the hours passed, with the presidents of Bolivia and Colombia supporting Lula’s claims, Brazilian social media became a veritable debate stage, with different opinions (some quite controversial) on whether or not the two deadly episodes should ever be juxtaposed to show differences and similarities.
The general consensus is that Lula’s words were ill-advised. While the situation in Gaza is alarming — and, under many lenses, criminal — it is worlds apart from the systemic atrocities of Nazi Germany.
Check out the creation of this cartoon on The Brazilian Report’s TikTok account (@brazilianreport).
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