Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended his nation's sovereignty and strongly condemned what he called the “ongoing genocide” in Gaza, during his address at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

In keeping with a tradition dating back to 1947, Brazil was once again the first country to speak at the plenary session of world leaders.

Without naming former U.S. President Donald Trump directly, Lula said that the conviction of former President Jair Bolsonaro for attempting a coup d’état was a message to all autocratic candidates and their supporters.

President Trump has publicly denounced Bolsonaro's trial as a “witch hunt” and in July, his administration imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, citing the case against the former president among other issues.

“False patriots plot and publicly promote actions against Brazil. Pacification cannot be archived with impunity,” Lula said.

Turning to foreign policy, Lula condemned both the Hamas attacks and Israel’s military response in Gaza.

"The terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas are indefensible from any angle.” he said.

“But nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” he stressed.