Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Saturday (Dec. 20), during the Mercosur Summit, held in Foz do Iguaçu, South Brazil, that tackling organized crime should be one of the priorities of the bloc formed by Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, regardless of the political profile of the countries’ governments.
He argued that the weakening of democratic institutions is one of the problems opening the way for illegal activities. The president also mentioned a series of initiatives underway in South American countries.
“Public safety is the right of citizens and the duty of the state, regardless of ideology. Mercosur has shown its willingness to tackle criminal networks jointly. More than a decade ago, we created a body of authorities specializing in anti-drug policies. Early this year, we signed an agreement against human trafficking. We created a commission to implement a common strategy against transnational organized crime. We established a specialized working group on asset recovery in order to stifle the sources of financing for illicit activities,” he declared.
Lula also advocated the regulation of digital environments to combat crime and announced an international meeting with security ministers to discuss the issue.
“We agree that the internet is not a lawless territory and we have adopted measures to protect children and adolescents and personal data in digital environments. Freedom is the first victim of a world without rules. But this is a struggle that goes beyond Mercosur. There is currently no South American body dedicated to this problem. Therefore, in consultation with Uruguay, Brazil intends to propose a meeting of the ministers of justice and public security […] to discuss how to strengthen South American cooperation in the fight against organized crime,” he stated.
Gender-based violence
At the Mercosur Summit, President Lula addressed the issue of violence against women – one of the main public safety challenges in Brazil, but also a problem in neighboring countries.
“Latin America also holds the sad record of being the most lethal region in the world for women. According to ECLAC [Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean], 11 Latin American women are murdered every day. Yesterday, I sent an agreement to the National Congress for ratification that will allow women who benefit from protective measures in one country of the bloc to have the same protection in other countries. I would like to propose to Paraguay – which is taking over the presidency of the bloc today – that we work to create a major Mercosur pact to end femicide and violence against women,” said the president, who has made repeated speeches proposing a national effort to combat gender violence.
Risk of military conflict
Another key point in Lula’s speech at Saturday’s Mercosur meeting was the risk of armed conflict in South America, given the threat of US military intervention in Venezuela, which could attempt to overthrow the current regime of President Nicolás Maduro and trigger a new war. Today, US troops surround the Caribbean Sea on the Venezuelan border, allegedly to combat drug trafficking.
“More than four decades after the Falklands War, the South American continent is once again haunted by the military presence of an extra-regional power. The limits of international law are being tested. An armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian catastrophe for the hemisphere and a dangerous precedent for the world,” he warned.
In addition to advocating a doctrine of peace in South America, Lula defended democracy and praised the ability of Brazilian institutions to thwart an attempted coup d’état almost three years ago.
“Brazilian democracy survived the most serious attack it has suffered since the end of the dictatorship. Those responsible for the coup attempt on January 8, 2023, were investigated, tried, and convicted in accordance with due process of law. For the first time in its history, Brazil has settled its accounts with the past,” he argued.
Войти
