Conservative Perspective on Lula’s Lunch with Cuban Dictator and U.S.-Cuba Relations
By Laiz Rodrigues
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s lunch with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Rio de Janeiro on July 7, 2025, is a troubling signal of Brazil’s foreign policy under leftist leadership. Hosting the head of a communist regime notorious for human rights abuses, political repression, and economic collapse suggests Lula prioritizes ideological camaraderie over democratic values. This move raises eyebrows, particularly given the tense state of U.S.-Cuba relations.
Under President Trump, the U.S. has rightly taken a firm stance against Cuba, reinstating its designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism and banning American tourism to starve the regime’s military and intelligence apparatus. These policies undo the Biden administration’s misguided efforts to ease sanctions and remove Cuba from the terrorism list—concessions that yielded no democratic reforms. Cuba’s government continues to jail dissidents, crush protests like those in 2021, and refuse compensation for nationalized U.S. assets, proving it remains a hostile actor.
Lula’s friendly engagement with Díaz-Canel, following his 2023 visit to Havana to bolster Brazil-Cuba ties, aligns with this failed appeasement approach. While it’s unclear if the lunch was a direct jab at Trump, Lula’s vocal criticism of Trump’s policies and his pattern of cozying up to anti-American leaders suggest a deliberate tilt toward adversaries of U.S. interests. This is more than diplomacy—it’s a choice to elevate a regime that oppresses its people and sows instability in the Western Hemisphere.
Conservatives should view this as a red flag: Lula’s actions weaken the U.S.-led push to isolate authoritarian regimes and embolden dictators who thrive on control, not freedom. Brazil, as a key regional player, should stand with nations that uphold liberty, not dine with those who trample it. The U.S. must strengthen its embargo and sanctions on Cuba, ensuring no support flows to Havana, while calling out leaders like Lula who prop up its failing system.