The leaders of Brazil and Cuba both canceled their attendance at this week's BRICS summit, being hosted in Russia by President Vladimir Putin.
"Regrettably, as it became known today, President of Brazil Lula da Silva and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel will not be able to come due to unforeseen circumstances," Kremlin presidential aide Yury Ushakov said in comments reported by Russian state media on Oct. 21.
Lula, 78, is reported to have suffered a minor brain hemorrhage after falling at his home at the weekend, and will instead appear by videoconference.
Diaz-Canel is suffering "serious energy problems," Russian state media reported.
BRICS, composed of Russia, China, India, Brazil, and other nations, is a group of emerging economies often portrayed as a counterweight to the Western-led world.
Four new members – Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates – joined the international organization at the start of 2024. This marked the group's first expansion since December 2010, when South Africa became a member.
Cuba has requested to join the BRICS group as a "partner country" in an official letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Cuban Foreign Ministry official said on Oct. 8.
With Russia increasingly isolated on the international stage, and forced to turn to countries like North Korea for support, Moscow is hoping the summit can send a message to Western nations that it can still yield some clout.
The Kremlin described the three-day meeting which began on Oct. 22 as one of the "largest-scale foreign policy events ever" in Russia.
Owen Racer
