Lula da Silva slams 'US meddling' in Brazilian sovereign affairs on behalf of Boeing
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized the US Department of Justice's scrutiny of Saab corporation. Earlier, the DoJ issued a request for the Swedish defense company to disclose details of Brazil’s 2014 purchase of Gripen fighter jets. "I think this is the US meddling in another country's affairs," Lula said.
The $5.4 billion deal between the Brazilian government and Saab, which managed to beat American Boeing and French Dassault, was inked under former President Dilma Rouseff. Lula recalls that he intended to buy Dassault's Rafale fighters, but eventually decided to pass this decision to his successor, who opted to purchase Swedish aircraft. The Brazilian president alleges the US government is furious about the sovereign choice of the Latin American nation.
"They didn't like it when I said I was going to buy the Rafale, and certainly didn't like it when Dilma bought the Swedish aircraft, as they wanted us to buy the U.S. plane," Lula said.
Lula da Silva who served as the 35th Brazilian president between 2003 and 2011, was reelected in 2023 as the 39th president.
