Lula meets NYC Mayor Mamdani, discusses workers' rights and poverty

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday at the Brazilian ambassador's residence in Manhattan's Upper East Side. The meeting lasted over an hour and was requested by the Democratic mayor.

They discussed a Brazilian congressional proposal to end the six-day workweek, ensuring workers two days off. Lula shared Brazil's experience with social inclusion, digital government, housing, school meals, and participatory budgeting.

“You have been a source of inspiration for all of us.”

Mamdani highlighted New York's popular supermarkets initiative and cited the cost of living as the city's main challenge. He stated that one in four New Yorkers lives in poverty, calling New York the most expensive city in the Americas and third worldwide.

Lula warned that the world spends trillions on weapons while investing almost nothing in education, hunger relief, and aid for the poor. Both leaders agreed on prioritizing vulnerable populations in public budgets.

Mamdani called Lula an inspiration for defending workers and those in difficulty. Lula praised the 34-year-old mayor's trajectory and urged him not to lose the discourse that won him election. The two exchanged soccer jerseys: Lula gave a Corinthians shirt; Mamdani gave a New York Cosmos jersey.