Lula's inauguration: 65 foreign delegations to attend ceremony

The inauguration of Brazil’s president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on January 1, 2023, in Brasilia, is expected to be attended by at least 65 foreign delegations, composed of heads of government, vice presidents, foreign ministers, special envoys and representatives of international organizations. 

Brazilian Ambassador Fernando Igreja, responsible for the inauguration ceremony, said this will be the largest event with high-level international authorities in Brazil since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

All heads of state and government of countries that have diplomatic relations with Brazil have been invited. So far, 30 heads of state and government have confirmed their attendance at the event. According to the ambassador, representatives from almost all South American countries will be present, besides authorities from Central America, Africa, and the Middle East, which shows the importance of this moment in the international scenario.

The 19 heads of state confirmed are the king of Spain and the presidents of the following countries: Germany, Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Suriname, East Timor, Togo, and Uruguay. 

Mexico’s First Lady Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller will represent the country's president Manuel López Obrador. The vice presidents of China, Cuba, El Salvador, and Panama have also confirmed their presence. The heads of government confirmed are from the Republic of Guinea, Mali, Morocco, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The Deputy Prime Ministers of Azerbaijan and Ukraine will also attend the ceremony.

Among the heads of power expected to come to Brazil are the presidents of the Federation Council (Russia), the People's National Assembly (Algeria), the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Iran), the Senate and National Assembly (Dominican Republic), the Assembly of the Republic (Mozambique), the Senate of Jamaica and Equatorial Guinea, and the National Parliament (Serbia).

Turkey, Costa Rica, Palestine, Guatemala, Gabon, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Nicaragua, South Africa, Cameroon, and Saudi Arabia have reported the arrival of their respective foreign ministers.

Fernando Igreja informed that 16 countries have declared the participation of special envoys, among them the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and France. The European Union and the United Nations Organization (UN) will also send representatives.

The executive secretary of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), the secretary-general of the Latin American Integration Association (Aladi), the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, and the secretary-general of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization have also reported their presence as representatives of international organizations.