President Lula expands agenda of interests with Caribbean nations

Advancing in climate change adaptation and in loss and damage compensation is an existential matter for Small Island Developing States”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic

At the opening of the Brazil-Caribbean Summit on Friday, June 13, at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva advocated for expanding dialogue and cooperation between Brazil and Caribbean countries. The meeting brings together representatives from 16 nations and marks an agenda of rapprochement with the region.

BRINGING TOGETHER TO UNITE — With the motto “Bringing together to unite,” the President recalled the Brazil-CARICOM Summit held in 2010. Since then, Lula said, Brazil’s relationship with Caribbean countries has fluctuated between progress, stagnation, and setbacks. “The motto of this meeting comes from the closing sentence of the speech I gave at the 2010 Summit. Fifteen years later, it reflects an unfinished challenge. Our trade exchange has decreased by 30% since then. We used to have a flow of over 6 billion dollars, which now revolves around 4 billion,” Lula stated. 

» Check out the full speech by President Lula

PRIORITIES — The President highlighted five areas for joint action between Brazil and the Caribbean: climate change, energy transition, food security, connectivity, and support for Haiti. Lula also presented concrete measures that demonstrate Brazil’s commitment to the region.

COP30 — Lula emphasized the importance of strengthening joint work on the climate agenda, especially regarding COP30, which will be held in Brazil, in Belém, state of Pará, in November 2025. He highlighted Brazil’s technical support through the Partnership for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), in collaboration with Denmark, which provides assistance to Caribbean countries in formulating and implementing their climate targets.

The Brazilian commitment to biofuels has transformed sugarcane from a symbol of our colonial past to a passport for a sustainable future. The Caribbean shares this past with Brazil and can also be a part of this future"

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic of Brazil

“We need to reach COP30 in Belém in unity. Our measure of success will be the degree of ambition of the new NDCs to be presented. Brazil’s goal, which foresees a reduction of emissions between 59 and 67%, was the product of an intense domestic exercise,” Lula emphasized. “Advancing in climate change adaptation and in understanding losses and damages is almost an existential issue for the Small Island Developing States,” he added, recalling that he defended the same cause earlier this week at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France.

Lula mentioned the role of Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais/INPE) in monitoring the effects of sea level rise and sharing images from Sino-Brazilian satellites with all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. “There are important synergies between the Bridgetown Initiative, launched by Barbados, and the Baku-Belém road map to reach USD 1.3 trillion in [climate] financing. It is up to the wealthy countries to face their responsibilities, so that the Global South can advance in a rhythm that is compatible with their circumstances,” he argued.

ENERGY TRANSITION — The second priority highlighted by the Brazilian leader is the energy transition, focusing on valuing different energy sources in developing countries. Lula emphasized the wind and solar energy production of Caribbean countries and the strategic planning to attract long-term investments. “The Brazilian option for biofuels has allowed sugarcane to transmutate from a symbol of a colonial past to a passport for a sustainable future. The Caribbean shares this past with Brazil and can also be part of this future. The region has immense potential to produce wind and solar energy,” he added.

FOOD SECURITY — The President drew attention to the fact that more than 12 million people in the Caribbean still live under the threat of hunger, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (Organização das Nações Unidas para Alimentação e Agricultura/FAO). To address this challenge, he reinforced Brazil’s commitment to public policies that require adequate funding and the expansion of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, a Brazilian initiative launched in 2024. “This is the purpose of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, which today starts to count with Santa Lucia, Cuba, and the Caribbean Development Bank. Seven countries of the region now integrate this initiative. I hope the others will soon join us in this alliance,” Lula emphasized.

Brazil can share its experience in forming public food stocks, an effective tool for keeping prices stable. I am aware of the Caribbean's interest in diversifying its food suppliers. It makes no sense for Brazil — the barn of the world — not to be present on the tables of Caribbean consumers”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic

PROTECTIONS — Among the policies included in the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty are initiatives such as Garantia Safra, which protects farmers from natural disasters, and the Cisterns Program, which helps combat water scarcity, both highlighted by Lula in his speech. He also reinforced the invitation for countries to join the Public Supply Systems Network of Latin America and the Caribbean. “Through this Network, Brazil can share its experience in forming public food stocks, an effective tool for keeping prices stable. I am aware of the Caribbean's interest in diversifying its food suppliers. It makes no sense for Brazil — the barn of the world — not to be present on the tables of Caribbean consumers,” he stated.

CONNECTIVITY — The fourth area highlighted was the need to improve air, road, and maritime connectivity between Brazil and the Caribbean. In this regard, the South American Integration Routes program aims to create and enhance infrastructure that links the surrounding region. “The scarcity of connections explains why the Caribbean imports more from the United States, China, and Germany than from Brazil. The items that supply the region come from distant locations, even though the ports of Santana, in Amapá, and Pecém, in Ceará, are neighbors,” the President said.

USD 5 MILLION — Lula emphasized the investment to be made by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for projects in South American countries, with a focus on Guyana and Suriname. The President also stated that Brazil wishes to go further in the existing air service agreements. “The Caribbean Development Bank is also a key partner in this effort. Today, I am happy to announce that Brazil will contribute USD 5 million from the CDB Special Development Fund. These resources will support the most vulnerable countries in the region,” he stressed.

HAITI — The Brazilian President reaffirmed the historic commitment to Haiti and condemned the international punishment imposed on the country. “I have stated on several occasions that Haiti cannot be eternally punished for having been the first country in the Americas to become independent. If, in the past, the punishment has come under the guise of unfair compensations and external interference, it is currently reflected in the stance of abandonment and indifference,” Lula declared. The President also said that the Brazilian Federal Police will provide training to 400 members of the Haitian National Police to support security and the electoral process in the country. “Along with the Dominican Republic, Haiti was one of the countries selected to receive the first projects of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. With resources from the IDB, we will structure income transfer programs that will improve the lives of Haitian people,” he stated. 

STRENGTHENING — In closing his speech, Lula emphasized the importance of regional integration as a way to ensure autonomy amid geopolitical disputes. “Without the Caribbean, we will never have a strong CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States). More than ever, we need to reaffirm our sense of solidarity. We must continue to vehemently condemn the embargo against Cuba and its unwarranted inclusion on lists of countries that support terrorism. The world suffers from a lack of voices that speak on behalf of what is right, fair, and sensible. Brazil has always perceived this vocation in the Caribbean,” Lula concluded.

PARTICIPANTS — The meeting also includes representatives from Caribbean regional organizations such as the Caribbean Community, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Association of Caribbean States, as well as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF); the Presidency of COP30; and the Green Climate Fund. 

CARICOM — The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a grouping of twenty-one countries: 15 Member States and six associate members. It is home to 16 million citizens, 60% of whom are under 30 years old and belong to the main ethnic groups: Indigenous peoples, Africans, Indians, Europeans, Chinese, and Portuguese. The community is multilingual, with English as the primary language, complemented by French, Dutch and their variations, as well as African and Asian expressions.

TRADE BALANCE — In commercial terms, the CARICOM bloc of countries conducts approximately USD 4 billion in trade with Brazil. The scales are positive for Brazil, which exported USD 2.7 billion and imported USD 1.3 billion. However, this trade is highly concentrated in three countries — Guyana, the Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago — which account for 75% of the total.