Brazil’s Lula to embark on ‘historic’ state visit to Manila
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a meeting of the National Council for the Industrialisation of Critical and Strategic Minerals at the Planalto Palace in Brasília on November 5, 2026. Evaristo Sa, AFP MANILA — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will visit Manila for a state visit on Nov. 14-15, 2026, upon the invitation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Malacañang announced Tuesday.
The historic visit will be the first for a sitting Brazilian president to the Philippines, the Palace said.
Lula’s visit coincides with the start of the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits on Nov. 15, where global leaders will converge in Manila as this year’s host.
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The Brazilian leader will attend the 49th ASEAN Summit Plenary upon Marcos’ invitation, as Brazil is a sectoral dialogue partner of the regional bloc.
Marcos will welcome Lula at the Philippine International Convention Center, the main venue of the ASEAN Summit, where the two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting “to advance their partnership, including cooperation in multilateral fora and among countries of the Global South.”
The 81-year-old leftist Lula secured a fourth, non-consecutive mandate in an Oct. 25 presidential runoff against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who had come out on top in the first-round vote.
His visit also coincides with the 80th anniversary of Philippines-Brazil diplomatic relations this year, as the two countries seek to expand collaboration in trade and investment, agriculture, energy, science and technology, defense, and technical cooperation, according to the Presidential Communications Office.