HANOVER, Apr 20 — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has criticised the United States over the war in Iran, using his address at the opening of a major trade fair in Germany to deliver a sharp rebuke of global powers, reported German news agency dpa.
“We are witnessing a critical moment in global geopolitics, marked by major paradoxes: while astronauts are flying to the moon, women and children are being killed indiscriminately in the bombings in the Middle East,” Lula told the audience at the opening ceremony of the Hannover Messe trade fair in northern Germany yesterday evening.
Describing the war against Iran as “madness”, Lula said it was unacceptable in the 21st century that hunger, illiteracy and lack of access to electricity remained unresolved for billions of people, while US$2.7 trillion was being spent on wars.
The 80-year-old leader called for modern technologies to be used not for war, but for “a more sustainable and secure world”.
Lula also took aim not only at the United States, but at all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
He said the body had been created to secure peace and prevent a repeat of World War II.
Instead, the world is now witnessing more conflicts than at any time since 1945, Lula said, accusing global powers of standing idly by.
