Lula: Brazil will not be a colony; rare earths for tech sovereignty

Brazilian President Lula, ahead of Independence Day, declared that Brazil will not be a colony and that its rare earth elements and natural resources should be leveraged to develop cutting-edge technology. This signals a push for national control over strategic mineral resources, potentially affecting foreign investment and trade partnerships. The statement is rhetorical but aligns with ongoing efforts to boost domestic processing and reduce export dependence.