New York mayor praises Lula as inspiration for workers' rights before UN Assembly

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday in New York, calling the leader "a light" and an inspiration for defending workers abandoned by politics. The meeting occurred ahead of the UN General Assembly opening Tuesday. Mamdani, 34, requested the meeting at the Brazilian embassy residence, seeking alignment on progressive urban issues like high living costs and inequality. Lula expressed surprise at New York's "invisible" social problems, while Mamdani cited the city's cost-of-living crisis, noting one in four residents lives in poverty. The two exchanged symbolic gifts: Lula gave a Corinthians shirt, and Mamdani offered a limited-edition New York City World Cup jersey made by a Brooklyn family business. Lula urged the young mayor to maintain his winning campaign message against poverty.