US and foreign leaders praise Jimmy Carter’s legacy

“LOVER OF DEMOCRACY”

Carter “was early to recognise that protecting our shared planet and promoting global public health were vital to national security interests”, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

In one of the first reactions from abroad, French President Emmanuel Macron said Carter had “been a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace.

“France sends its heartfelt thoughts to his family and to the American people,” he said.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted Carter’s post-presidency work with the nonprofit Carter Center “saved countless lives and helped bring many neglected tropical diseases close to elimination”.

Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed Carter as “a lover of democracy and defender of peace”, noting his pressuring of Brazil’s dictatorship to release political prisoners.

“He criticized unilateral military action by superpowers and the use of killer drones,” Lula said. “He worked with Brazil to mediate conflicts in Venezuela and to help Haiti.”

“He will be remembered forever as a name that defends the idea that peace is the most important condition for development.”