Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has used the opening of the LAAD Security Expo in São Paulo — Latin America's largest defence and security exhibition — to call for greater military readiness, warning that even peaceful regions must prepare against potential external threats. Speaking at the event, which brings together military officials, government representatives, and industry leaders to showcase defence and intelligence technologies, Lula stressed that South America's status as a nuclear-free zone of peace should not breed complacency. Brazilian authorities say the push is focused on deterrence rather than conflict, with the expo also highlighting Brazil's broader ambitions to expand regional defence cooperation and grow its domestic military manufacturing capabilities.