Brazil’s President Lula Stands with India Against Terrorism, Reaffirms Strategic Ties

May 8, 2025: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with India in its ongoing battle against terrorism during a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The Brazilian leader also extended condolences for the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives.

In a statement shared on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted, “President Lula de Silva of Brazil @LulaOficial called PM @narendramodi and conveyed condolences at the loss of lives in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India. He expressed support and solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism. PM thanked President Lula for his condolences.”

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the India-Brazil strategic partnership, with PM Modi also extending his best wishes for Brazil’s presidency of BRICS in 2025.

India’s firm response to the Pahalgam attack came through Operation Sindoor, executed on May 7, in which nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) were precisely targeted and destroyed. The operation was launched following the deadly assault carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-backed terrorist outfit.

At a joint press conference, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasized that Pakistan’s actions constituted the “original escalation” on April 22, and India’s response was “controlled, precise, measured, and non-escalatory.”

“We are not looking to escalate the situation, only to defend our people. No military installations were targeted—only terrorist infrastructure,” Misri said. He added that while the TRF publicly claimed responsibility for the attack twice, Pakistan blocked its mention during discussions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

He further underscored Pakistan’s longstanding notoriety as a hub for global terrorism, citing this attack as another example of its continued support for extremist networks.