BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slammed what he called the return of a colonial approach toward developing nations during a summit in Colombia on Saturday.

The Brazilian president pointed to the kidnapping by the United States of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and its fuel blockade of Cuba.

“It’s not possible for someone to think that they own other countries,” Lula said, in a clear reference to US policy in the region, during a forum with delegates from Africa and a summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

“What are they doing with Cuba now? What did they do with Venezuela? Is that democratic?”

Lula also slammed the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28 and drew a parallel with the Iraq war.

“Iran has been invaded under the pretext that Iran was building a nuclear bomb. Where are Saddam Hussein’s chemical weapons? Where are they? Who found them?”

Lula said that all countries present had already experienced being plundered for gold, silver, diamonds and minerals. He accused an unspecified “they” of seeking to own developing countries’ critical minerals and rare earth deposits.

“After taking everything we had, now they want to own the critical minerals and rare earths that we have,” Lula said. “They want to colonise us again.”

Since assuming office last year, US President Donald Trump launched boat strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean, ordered a naval blockade on Venezuelan oil exports and got involved in electoral politics in Honduras and Argentina.

While such actions have thrilled right-wing leaders across the continent, they have raised fears among left-wing politicians who have voiced grave concerns over what they see as US bullying.

The Brazilian president added: “We cannot allow anyone to interfere and violate the territorial integrity of each country.”