The Brazilian government announced on Wednesday (Dec. 10) that 70.8 percent of the BRL 1.3 trillion allocated to the New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) for 2023 to 2026 has already been spent. BRL 944.8 billion has been invested through August of this year in various projects and equipment throughout the country.

At a ceremony at the Planalto presidential palace, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that many people thought it was “humanly impossible” to complete this volume of investment. He urged mayors and governors to move forward with the projects and said that it is the role of the state to mobilize resources for initiatives that reach the periphery and the poorest.

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“Now, this last part is passing the investment ball to mayors and governors, and we hope that our bureaucracy, which will make the investment, will not take too long,” he said, noting that the selection of the projects that received funds was made together with federal entities.

With an estimated BRL 1.7 trillion in public and private investments, the New PAC was launched in August 2023 by President Lula. Of the total amount, BRL 1.3 trillion is expected to be invested by 2026, with the remainder to be disbursed after that date.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a law increasing control over individuals under investigation and convicted of crimes against sexual dignity. The new piece of legislation also reinforces efforts in prevention, accountability, and victim support.

To ensure stricter punishment for these crimes – which mainly affect vulnerable individuals such as children, adolescents, and people with disabilities – the new law increases penalties for sexual crimes involving these groups. The maximum penalty can reach 40 years of imprisonment.

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The law also incorporates into the Brazilian Penal Code the crime of non-compliance with emergency protective measures, punishable by imprisonment of two to five years. The move aims to extend this protection, previously only included in the Maria da Penha Law, which created mechanisms to curb domestic and family violence against women.

Furthermore, the new legislation makes it mandatory to collect biological material from individuals convicted of or under investigation on charges of crimes against sexual dignity, for the purpose of genetic profiling.

Enforcement

The judge can enforce measures right away, including suspending or restricting gun ownership; removing the abuser from the home where they live with the victim; banning the abuser from approaching or contacting the victim, family members, and witnesses; and restricting or suspending visits with under-age dependents.

In addition, the judge may determine the use of an electronic ankle tag and a security device that notifies the victim of the aggressor’s approach.

Custody

How people convicted of sex crimes can change the way they serve a sentence is now based on stricter rules. Only those who pass a criminal exam showing no signs of a repeat offense can serve their sentence under a better regime or leave prison.

The new law also makes electronic monitoring mandatory for those convicted of crimes against sexual dignity and crimes against women when they leave the penal facility.

Children and adolescents

With regard to Brazil’s Statute of the Child and Adolescent – a code known in the country as ECA – the new legislation extends the possibility of medical, psychological, and psychiatric care to the families of victims of sexual crimes.

Educational campaigns are expanded and targeted at new audiences, including schools, health care centers, sports organizations, non-profits, and other public spaces.

The same measures are now included in the Statute of Persons with Disabilities to ensure a more comprehensive support network for victims of crimes against sexual dignity and their families.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on Monday (Dec. 8) that he intends to convene a meeting with representatives of the branches of government and social sectors to promote what he called an “educational task force” to combat violence against women. Amid a wave of femicide cases that have shocked the country, thousands of people in several cities took to the streets this weekend to denounce violence and demand freedom, respect, and safety for Brazilian women.

“It is important to involve the National Congress - the Senate and the House of Representatives - the Supreme Court, the Superior Court of Justice, the state courts of justice, trade unionists, evangelicals; we need everyone to join forces in an educational task force,” said Lula in a speech during the 14th National Social Assistance Conference, which is taking place in Brasília.

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The president did not specify a date but said he would try to hold the meeting by the end of the year.

“We must be outraged by violence toward women,” said the president, who again mentioned recent cases, such as the episode in São Paulo involving Douglas Alves da Silva, 26, who ran over and dragged Tainara Souza Santos, 31. The crime occurred on November 29. She had her legs amputated after being dragged under the vehicle for about 1 kilometer and remains hospitalized.

Lula also cited the case of a 39-year-old man arrested in flagrante delicto in Recife, also in late November, accused of setting a fire that killed his pregnant wife and the couple’s four children. The president once again called for male involvement in the fight.

“The plain and simple truth is that violence only has one side. It is not women who have to change their behavior, it is men,” he said.

Lula emphasized that he will make the fight against violence toward women his political struggle from now on. “Here in Brazil, we are going to have to create a movement. It is primarily an educational problem; we are going to have to learn in school and educate our children,” he added.

For the past week, Lula has been addressing the issue of gender violence at the official events he attends.

Violence

According to the National Map of Gender Violence, approximately 3.7 million Brazilian women have experienced one or more episodes of domestic violence in the last 12 months.

In 2024, 1,459 women were victims of femicide. On average, about four women were murdered every day in 2024 because of their gender, whether in contexts of domestic or family violence or due to contempt and discrimination related to their female status.

This year, Brazil has already recorded more than 1,180 femicides and nearly 3,000 daily calls to Ligue 180, Brazil’s national hotline for reporting violence against women, according to the Ministry of Women.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke on Tuesday (Dec. 2) about recent femicide cases that shocked Brazil, urging men to take responsibility for changing the culture of gender-based violence in society. He made the statement during an event in Ipojuca, in the metropolitan region of Recife, which marked the launch of works to expand the operational capacity of the Abreu e Lima Refinery (Rnest).

“I wanted to address us men. What goes on in the mind of this animal, considered the most intelligent species on Earth, to cause so much violence? I woke up on Sunday (Nov. 30) and during breakfast, Janja (the first lady) started crying. At night, while watching Fantástico (on TV Globo), she cried again. Yesterday (Monday), she cried once more,” said the president.

Lula said that the first lady asked him to take a “tougher stance” against violence by men toward women. He cited some of the most tragic incidents of violence recorded in recent days.

“This week, a man grabbed two pistols and fired them at his wife. Another killed his pregnant wife, who had three children, and set their house on fire. Yet another ran over his wife and dragged her for a kilometer. She will survive, but with both legs amputated. The question I ask is: does the Brazilian Penal Code have a penalty capable of bringing justice to an irrational animal like that?” he questioned.

Two of the cases cited by Lula occurred in the city of São Paulo. In one, a man fled after firing at least six times with two weapons at his ex-partner in a pastry shop where she worked, in the northern zone of the city, on Monday morning (Dec. 1). He did not accept the end of the relationship. The other case, also an attempted femicide, was committed by Douglas Alves da Silva, 26, who ran over and dragged Tainara Souza Santos, 31, on Saturday morning (Nov. 29), also in the northern zone of São Paulo. She had both legs amputated after being dragged under the vehicle for about a kilometer and remains hospitalized.

In Recife, a 39-year-old man was arrested on the spot on Saturday, suspected of starting a fire that killed his pregnant wife and the couple’s four children.

“Each of us men needs to be a teacher to one another. Each of us has to educate our children, and each of us has to educate our partners. If you’re not happy with your partner, please be a grown man - don’t hit her, just separate from her. If she doesn’t like you, she isn’t obligated to stay with you; let her live her life. Don’t imprison that person, don’t be cruel, don’t be ignorant. Because when you think about it, there’s no punishment for a man like that - even death is too mild. There needs to be a national movement of men against the animals who beat, abuse, and mistreat women,” Lula continued.

Femicide is the homicide of a woman committed because of her gender, characterized by domestic or family violence, contempt, or discrimination against the female condition. It is considered the most extreme expression of gender violence and often occurs as the culmination of a history of aggression, motivated by hatred, dehumanization, or a sense of ownership over the victim. In Brazil, it is classified as a heinous crime and, when treated as an aggravating circumstance in homicide, carries a prison sentence of twelve to thirty years.

Since January, 207 women have been killed in the state of São Paulo alone as victims of femicide. In October, there were 22 victims of this type of crime and another 5,838 women who suffered intentional bodily harm.

Male awareness

Also in his speech, the president recalled being raised by his mother, along with five siblings, and taught never to act violently toward women. He called on men to demonstrate character, dignity, and respect, and renewed his appeal for a collective effort by men to confront gender violence.

“From now on, I am part of a movement of men who will begin raising awareness in this country that men were not born to beat women, to rape children, or to commit violence. Raise your hand if you are with me in this fight. We are going to have a strong campaign,” he emphasized.

Refinery

Considered Petrobras’ most modern refinery, Rnest will receive approximately BRL 12 billion in investments to complete processing unit 2 and carry out additional maintenance on processing unit 1, which is expected to add 130,000 barrels per day to the plant’s processing capacity. The refinery is estimated to reach 260,000 barrels per day by the end of the project in 2029. According to the state-owned company, it will supply 17 percent of the country’s diesel demand and will also produce gasoline, LPG, and naphtha.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday (24) received an honorary doctorate in political science, development, and international cooperation from the Pedagogical University of Maputo. Lula is visiting Mozambique’s capital to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The honor recognizes Lula’s career and Brazil’s contribution to advancing education and science in Mozambique.

According to the university’s rector, Jorge Ferrão, more than 30 percent of Mozambique’s senior scientific staff - including holders of master’s and doctoral degrees - graduated from Brazilian higher education institutions through cooperation agreements signed during President Lula’s administrations.

“The Pedagogical University of Maputo opens its doors with a full heart because our gratitude is supreme and never-ending,” said the rector, noting that the title was also awarded on behalf of other Mozambican institutions.

The rector emphasized that academic cooperation is a two-way street and noted that, in 2024, the Pedagogical University of Maputo welcomed about 600 young people from Brazilian indigenous communities.

In a project with the Federal University of Maranhão, the Mozambican institution also committed to participating in the formulation and teaching of Afro-Brazilian history and culture in the Brazilian curriculum.

Best investment

Upon receiving the honor, President Lula cited several educational and anti-inequality policies developed in Brazil and reaffirmed that resources invested in education are not expenses, but “the best investment” a government can make.

“I know how much abuse we suffer for not having had the opportunity [to study]. That is why education, for me, is an obligation,” Lula emphasized, to loud applause from the audience.

Lula also pointed out that Brazil owes a great deal to the African continent, which helped “forge the country’s soul” during its 300 years of slavery, and stated that the undergraduate cooperation program for foreign students has been operating in Brazil for 60 years.

“International cooperation is only fair when it is based on solidarity and respect for the dignity and sovereignty of each country. This is the model that Brazil believes in,” Lula said.

On Monday (Nov. 24), Brazil and Mozambique signed nine cooperation agreements to strengthen the latter’s institutional capacity in development, health care, education, diplomacy, entrepreneurship, trade, civil aviation, legal assistance, and agroforestry.

In Maputo, the capital of the African country, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he intends to restore the capacity of Brazil’s development bank BNDES to finance Brazilian companies abroad, benefiting both Brazil and partner nations like Mozambique.

“Mozambique is a developing country that still has infrastructure gaps to fill. Its growth depends on ports, roads, power plants, and transmission lines. Brazil has dynamic companies capable of making a contribution,” he said in a statement to the press alongside Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo.

In order to export these services, Lula believes that Brazil must offer credit options to finance the internationalization of the country’s businesses, which has already been done via BNDES.

The Brazilian delegation arrived in Maputo on Sunday (24) from Johannesburg, South Africa, where Lula participated in the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

The trip to Mozambique is part of the celebrations of 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which are also partners in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).

The Ministry of Foreign Relations has also noted that, upon assuming his third term in 2023, the president made it clear that he would resume relations with African countries as a foreign policy priority.

“Brazil has lost its way down dark paths and, in the process, forgotten its ties with Africa. Many of the seeds we had sown did not have time to take root. But it is time to regain our conscience,” Lula declared.

In 2023, he visited South Africa, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe. In 2024, he visited Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as receiving the president of Benin on an official visit. In 2025, he welcomed the presidents of Angola and Nigeria. In May this year, Brazil also hosted a meeting of agriculture ministers.

Trade

Mozambique is the largest beneficiary of Brazilian cooperation with resources from the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) in Africa, covering a wide range of areas – health care, agriculture, education, professional training, among others. Since 2015, 67 initiatives have been formed.

The two countries also plan to expand trade and investment. To this end, a forum was organized with Brazilian and Mozambican executives featuring panels on agribusiness, industry and innovation, and health care. Lula should participate in the closing ceremony of the event on Monday.

Trade between Brazil and Mozambique totaled USD 40.5 million in 2024, with Brazilian exports totaling USD 37.8 million and imports totaling USD 2.7 million.

The products exported consist mainly of fresh, frozen, or chilled poultry meat (41%), perfumery or toilet articles (4.7%), and furniture and parts thereof (5%). Imports consist mainly of ungraded or stemmed tobacco (95%).

The government understands that, despite limited trade flows, Brazil’s commercial and institutional relations with African countries are part of a political project to combine cooperation for the development and education of these nations.

Today, Lula cited, for example, the strengthening of the Brazilian health industrial complex, which will once again enable the production of pharmaceuticals and medicines in Mozambique.

The president also revealed that, in 2026, the Ministry of Education and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency will offer up to 80 places for training courses in agricultural sciences and up to 400 places for technical courses in agriculture to Mozambican employees. The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) will reinforce this initiative by training technicians from the African country.

“No one is better than Brazil to contribute to food security in Mozambique. With the right technology, we can increase productivity in the African savanna without compromising the environment,” he pointed out.

“With the same sense of priority, we are working to include Mozambique among the countries covered by the accelerated implementation phase of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty,” he added.

The Brazilian president also mentioned potential partnerships for forest conservation, energy transition, audiovisual and literary production, and efforts to against organized crime.

“The Brazilian government has been working intelligently to dismantle criminal networks and strangle their sources of financing. The Brazilian Federal Police is internationally recognized for its ability to track illicit assets and combat money laundering. It is available to share its experience and expand its collaboration with Mozambique,” Lula added.

In addition to the working meeting with President Daniel Chapo and the meeting with business leaders, Lula will receive an honorary doctorate from the Pedagogical University of Maputo.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued a warning this Sunday (Nov. 23) about the need to discuss countries’ sovereignty over the knowledge and added value of critical minerals. Lula spoke during the final thematic session of the G20 Leaders’ Summit – a gathering of the world’s largest economies in Johannesburg, South Africa.

On the agenda were critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and decent work - topics that were also discussed at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), which concluded this weekend in Belém, northern Brazil.

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“The way we integrate these three vectors of development will define not only our present but also the future of the next generations,” said the Brazilian president.

Critical minerals are essential resources for strategic sectors such as technology, defense, and the energy transition, with their supply subject to risks of scarcity or dependence on a limited number of suppliers.

These minerals include lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements, which are fundamental for electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, and semiconductors.

This G20 Summit, under the South African presidency, will issue a document on critical minerals that emphasizes processing these resources in their countries of origin and outlines the principles to be observed in their extraction and processing.

For Lula, the energy transition offers opportunities to expand technological frontiers and redefine the role of natural resource exploitation.

“Countries with a large concentration of mineral reserves cannot be seen as mere suppliers while remaining on the sidelines of technological innovation. What is at stake is not only who holds these resources, but who controls the knowledge and added value derived from them,” the president told the leaders.

“Talking about critical minerals is also talking about sovereignty. Sovereignty is not measured by the quantity of natural deposits, but by the ability to transform resources through policies that benefit the population. We need environmentally and socially responsible investments that help strengthen the industrial and technological base of countries that possess these resources,” said Lula.

Brazil, for example, holds about 10 percent of the world’s reserves of these elements, according to the Brazilian Mining Institute (Ibram), an organization representing the private sector.

In the country, research indicates that the pursuit of minerals needed for energy transition projects is already causing conflicts in new exploratory areas. Another study shows that this pursuit accelerates the climate crisis.

Lula recalled that Brazil created the National Council for Critical and Strategic Minerals to plan mineral exploration policies and stated that the country will not only be an exporter but also a partner in the global value chain for these elements.

AI and decent work

Similarly, the president argued that artificial intelligence (AI) represents a “unique opportunity” to promote equitable development for nations. He advocates establishing global and representative governance on the subject to ensure its benefits are shared.

“[AI] promotes innovation, increases productivity, encourages sustainable practices, and can improve people’s lives in a concrete way. The great challenge is not only to master the tool, but also to ensure that everyone can use it safely, securely, and reliably,” he said.

“When a few control the algorithms, the data, and the infrastructures linked to economic processes, innovation begins to generate exclusion. It is essential to prevent a new form of colonialism: the digital kind. It is urgent that the world’s largest economies deepen the debate on AI governance, with the United Nations at the center of this discussion,” the president added.

Lula also recalled that 2.6 billion people lack access to the digital world. According to him, 93 percent of the population in high-income countries has Internet access, compared with only 27 percent in low-income countries.

Finally, the president argued that technological development should be linked to job opportunities and worker protection, noting that 40 percent of the world’s workforce is in roles highly exposed to AI, at risk of automation or technological augmentation.

“Every solar panel, every chip, every line of code must carry the mark of social inclusion,” he noted. “We must build bridges between traditional and emerging sectors. Technology must strengthen - not weaken - human and labor rights,” Lula told the G20 leaders.

Agenda

The G20 is the main forum for international economic cooperation, created in 1999 following the Asian financial crisis. In 2008, it also became a political body, with summits of heads of state and government.

In 2025, South Africa will chair the G20 under the motto “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability,” focusing on four priorities: strengthening resilience and disaster response capacity; ensuring the sustainability of public debt in low-income countries; financing a just energy transition; and promoting critical minerals as drivers of development and economic growth.

The South African presidency concludes a cycle in which every member country will have held the group’s leadership at least once.

On the sidelines of the summit this Sunday, Lula also met with the leaders of the India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA). The trilateral initiative was launched in 2003 to promote cooperation among countries of the Global South.

Lula landed in Johannesburg on Friday (21) and spoke on Saturday (22) at the first two thematic sessions of the G20, covering sustainable and inclusive economic growth as well as climate change and disaster risk reduction.

He also held bilateral meetings with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Later today, the president will travel to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, for a working visit on Monday (24). The trip is part of the celebrations marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Lula is expected to return to Brazil later the same day.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday (Nov. 21) to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit, a group of the world’s largest economies. “The G20’s motto for 2025 is Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability, themes of fundamental importance for Brazil and the Global South,” Lula wrote in a post on social media this morning upon landing in the South African capital.

As president of the bloc in 2024, Brazil also has a prominent role in this edition of the summit, as it is part of the troika alongside South Africa and the United States, the next country to take over the forum. The troika is the cooperation mechanism among the current, previous, and next presidencies of the group to ensure continuity and preparation for the summit.

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In conducting the work, the South African presidency has listed four priorities for discussion: strengthening resilience and disaster response capacity; ensuring the sustainability of public debt in low-income countries; financing a just energy transition; and promoting the role of critical minerals as drivers of development and economic growth.

The G20 is the main forum for international economic cooperation, created in 1999. This year’s summit will be divided into three thematic sessions and will conclude with a leaders’ declaration. Among the expected advances, the document will outline the principles that must be observed in the extraction and processing of strategic minerals and rare earths.

On Saturday (22) morning, leaders will discuss sustainable economic growth, including development financing, trade, and public debt. In the afternoon, a session will be dedicated to climate change, disaster risk reduction, food security, and the energy transition. On Sunday (23), the discussions will turn to critical minerals, decent work, and artificial intelligence.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Lula is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with the heads of state and officials in attendance, and on Sunday, a meeting is scheduled with the leaders of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum. The trilateral initiative was developed in 2003 to promote cooperation among countries in the Global South.

Mozambique

Lula will then travel to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, where he will make a working visit on Monday (24). The trip is part of the celebrations marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Mozambique is the largest beneficiary of Brazilian cooperation funded by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) in Africa, with initiatives spanning health, agriculture, education, professional training, and other areas, including structural projects. During the visit, cooperation in fields such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, health, education, and the fight against organized crime will be revisited.

The two countries also want to expand trade and investment. To this end, a business forum is being organized, with an attendance estimated at 150 to 200 Brazilian and Mozambican businesspeople, and panels on agribusiness, industry, innovation, and health.

Lula is expected to return to Brazil on Monday.

On Thursday (Nov. 20), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva nominated Attorney General Jorge Messias to the Brazilian Supreme Court. The information was confirmed by the Planalto presidential palace.

He was nominated to replace Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, who announced his early retirement and left the Supreme Court last month. Messias is 45 years old and could remain in the position for the next 30 years, when he will turn 75, the age of mandatory retirement.

To take office, Messias must undergo a confirmation hearing before the Senate Constitution and Justice Committee and have his nomination approved both by the committee and by the full Senate. The date of the hearing has not yet been set.

Jorge Messias has headed the Attorney General’s Office since January 1, 2023, the beginning of Lula’s third term.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Thursday (Nov. 20), in a video posted on social media, that the US suspension of the 40 percent trade tariff on a specific list of Brazilian products was an important signal.

“It’s not everything I want, it’s not everything Brazil needs, but it’s an important step. President Trump has just announced that he will begin to reduce the tariff on several Brazilian products that were taxed at 40 percent. This is a very important result,” he said. Lula praised the US president’s decision and said he hoped the two could meet again in person in Brazil or the United States.

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“He [Trump] is invited to come to Brazil whenever he wants, and I hope to be invited to Washington to resolve any commercial or political disputes between Brazil and the United States,” he added.

Lula recorded the video alongside Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad in São Paulo, shortly before departing for South Africa to attend the G20 Summit. The president made a point of thanking Trump, albeit partially, and urged countries to work toward a comprehensive trade agreement.

“I will thank you only partially, because I will thank you fully when everything is completely agreed between us,” Lula stated.

Retroactive measure

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday (Nov. 20) the withdrawal of the 40 percent import tariff on certain Brazilian products. The list released by the White House includes items such as coffee, tea, tropical fruits and fruit juices, cocoa and spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, and beef.

In the executive order published by the US Presidency, Trump states that the decision was made after a telephone conversation with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, “during which we agreed to begin negotiations to address the issues identified in Executive Order 14,323.” According to the publication, these negotiations are still ongoing.

The measure taken by the United States is retroactive to November 13, the same date as the most recent meeting between Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and American Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. On that occasion, they discussed the progress of negotiations to reduce tariffs.