MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula troubled by interpreter's poor work at G20 Summit

“Only Janja may whisper in my ear!,” Lula stressed

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was deeply troubled on the closing day of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg (South Africa) by an interpreter's unprofessional behavior. “Only [First Lady] Janja [da Silva] may whisper in my ear!” he stressed.

Lula interrupted his speech on Sunday to complain about the translator's low voice on the headphones. The South American leader asked the language expert to move closer to a journalist asking a question. “You're translating only for yourself. Speak up, man,” Lula complained as he addressed the emptying of the G20 and its effects on future meetings.

After the interpreter obliged, Lula insisted he did not like simultaneous translation devices.

The G20 Summit closed with a focus on the Global South. Hosting President Cyril Ramaphosa procured a 122-point Leaders' Declaration underscoring multilateral cooperation and placing the emerging region's priorities at the center of the agenda.

Despite diplomatic tensions, the declaration reflected a “renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation,” Ramaphosa underlined.

The declaration called for increased global attention on issues affecting poorer nations, including debt relief, financial help for climate-related disaster recovery, and support for the transition to greener energy.

Mirroring commitments from COP30, the dignitaries from 19 countries, the European Union, and the African Union called for climate-related funding to increase “from billions to trillions globally.”

The text highlighted the need to tackle global wealth disparities and urged efforts to secure supply chains for critical minerals. However, stronger language on taxing billionaires —a key South African ambition— was watered down.

Additionally, the G20 pledged to work for lasting peace in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the occupied Palestinian territory, and Ukraine.

The summit was overshadowed by a boycott by the President Donald Trump US administration, citing South Africa's priorities on trade and climate as counter to its own policies. Washington also referenced allegations that South Africa persecutes its white minority.

In an unprecedented move that reportedly annoyed the Republican leadership across the Atlantic, Pretoria released the final declaration at the start of the two-day meeting on Saturday, breaking G20 protocol.

The dense atmosphere culminated when South Africa refused to stage the traditional handover of the rotating presidency to the US (scheduled for 2026), where Trump plans to host the summit at a Florida golf club he owns.

The declaration contained just one reference to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calling for a “just, comprehensive and lasting peace” based on the United Nations (UN) Charter.

The summit marked a major moment for African nations, with more than 20 leaders attending as guests. Ramaphosa stated South Africa had firmly placed the priorities of the African continent on the G20 agenda: New financial commitments were made through the Compact with Africa program; the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pledged US$1 billion to expand artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure across Africa, and Germany announced new investments through the pan-African insurer ATIDI.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer both voiced concerns about the G20's ability to act decisively, with Macron suggesting the bloc “may be coming to the end of a cycle.”