Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva raised the possibility on Friday that his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, might consider invading the Brazilian Amazon, in a speech in which he asserted he does not want a "war" with the world's leading military power. "After Trump said Greenland is his, that Canada is his, that Panama is his, why wouldn't he say the Amazon is his?" the Brazilian leader questioned.

He then added: "So we Brazilians are going to have to take care of this country, because otherwise, one day a madman might want to take this country. Brazil needs to protect itself. We have already shown we are great... we have 16,000 kilometers of land borders and 8,000 kilometers of maritime borders."

Lula spoke during a visit to the southeastern state of Espírito Santo, accompanied by ministers, where he had a series of engagements including the delivery of ambulances and a meeting with cultural activists. The president, who visited the White House last month for the first time since Trump took power, said his U.S. counterpart is accustomed to governing through social media. He recalled that in July of last year, Trump decreed an increase in tariffs on Brazilian exports, which caused tension between the Planalto Palace and the White House.

Nevertheless, Lula assured that his intention is to maintain a good relationship with the Republican leader. "Trump always says he has the largest ship in the world, the largest airplane in the world, the largest military. And I tell him: 'I don't want to go to war with you. I want to wage a war of narratives with you. I want to prove that you are wrong and Brazil is right,'" Lula summarized.