Combating hunger and respecting democracy are priorities, says Lula

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said this Sunday (1st), at an inauguration ceremony at the National Congress, that the fight against hunger and respect for democracy are among the priorities of his government. “The rights and interests of the population, the strengthening of democracy and the resumption of national sovereignty will be the pillars of our government. This commitment begins with the guarantee of a renewed, stronger and fairer Bolsa Família Program, to serve those who need it most. Our first actions are aimed at rescuing 33 million people from hunger and rescuing more than 100 million Brazilian men and women from poverty, who have borne the hardest burden of the project of national destruction that ends today,” said Lula, who will assume the position of President of the Republic for the third time. Upon arriving at the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies, Lula was applauded by parliamentarians and 74 representatives of international delegations, of which 24 are heads of state. The ceremony began with the reading of the Term of Office by the first secretary of Congress, deputy Luciano Bivar (União-PE). The mandate of Lula and his vice-president, Geraldo Alckimin, runs until January 4, 2027. Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies during a solemn session of the National Congress destined to swear in the president and vice-president of the Republic. Board (L/R): 1st Secretary of the Board of Congress, Deputy Luciano Bivar (União-PE); president of – Leopoldo Silva/Rights reserved Lula began his speech by recalling the message of his first term in 2003. On the occasion, the president began his inauguration speech with the word “change”. For him, it will be necessary to repeat commitments with “the right to a dignified life, without hunger, with access to employment, health and education”. “Having to repeat this commitment today – in the face of the increase in poverty and the return of hunger, which we had overcome – is the most serious symptom of the devastation that has imposed on the country in recent years”, he stressed. “Today, our message to Brazil is one of hope and reconstruction. The great edifice of rights, sovereignty and development that this Nation built since 1988 has been systematically demolished in recent years. It is to rebuild this edifice of national rights and values ​​that we are going to direct all our efforts”. Thrilled, Lula stated that his work will be one of reconstruction. “Under the winds of redemocratization, we said: dictatorship never again! Today, after the terrible challenge we have overcome, we must say: democracy forever. To confirm these words, we will have to rebuild democracy in our country on solid foundations. Democracy will be defended by the people to the extent that it guarantees all the rights enshrined in the Constitution,” he declared. The president said that “injustices committed against indigenous peoples” and the spending cap will be revoked. For him, the measure had a negative impact on the Unified Health System (SUS). In addition, he stated that social programs will be recomposed “The SUS is probably the most democratic of the institutions created by the 1988 Constitution. ”, he argued. “We are going to recompose Health budgets to guarantee basic assistance, Popular Pharmacy, promote access to specialized medicine. We are going to recompose education budgets, invest in more universities, technical education, universal access to the internet, expansion of day care centers and full-time public education,” he said. “This is the investment that will truly lead to the country’s development,” he added. Lula also highlighted the performance of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) in conducting the election and said that the victorious democratic front surpassed “the greatest mobilization of public and private resources that has ever been seen”, in reference to the campaign of candidate Jair Bolsonaro. “Never have State resources been so distorted in favor of an authoritarian project of power, never has the public machine been so diverted from republican controls, never have voters been so constrained by economic power and by lies disseminated on an industrial scale”, he said. According to Lula, the diagnosis made by the Government Transition Cabinet is appalling. The survey is a mapping of the current situation of the Brazilian State. “They dismantled education, culture, science and technology. They destroyed the protection of the environment. They left no resources for school lunches, vaccinations, public safety, forest protection, social assistance. They disorganized the governance of the economy, public financing, support for companies, entrepreneurs and foreign trade. They squandered state-owned companies and public banks; delivered the national heritage. The country’s resources were plundered to satisfy the stupidity of rentiers and private shareholders of public companies,” he said. Without mentioning former president Jair Bolsonaro, Lula stated that his administration will not be marked by “revenge”. But he stressed that “those who made mistakes will answer for their mistakes”. “We do not carry any spirit of revenge against those who tried to subjugate the nation to their personal and ideological designs, but we will guarantee the rule of law. Those who erred will answer for their mistakes with the right to full defense, within due legal process”, he said. Among the main measures, Lula stated that he will talk to the 27 governors to define the priorities of his administration. Among the measures, the president pointed out that 14,000 paralyzed works in the country will be resumed. “We are going to resume Minha Casa Minha Vida and structure a new PAC to generate jobs at the speed that Brazil requires. We will seek funding and cooperation – nationally and internationally – for investment, to boost and expand the domestic consumer market, to develop trade, exports, services, agriculture and industry. Public banks, especially BNDES, and companies that promote growth and innovation, such as Petrobras, will play a fundamental role in this new cycle”, he pointed out. Solemnity The president of the National Congress, senator Rodrigo Pacheco (DEM-MG) opened the session and asked for a minute of silence in honor of Pelé and pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who died this week. The table comprised, in addition to Pacheco, Lula and Alckmin, the mayor, deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL), the first secretary of Congress, Luciano Bivar (União-PE), the president of the Federal Supreme Court, Rosa Weber , and the Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras. Before signing the term of office, Lula broke protocol and said that he won the pen that would be used on the occasion as a gift from a supporter from Piauí in the 1989 election campaign, after a rally in Teresina, when he was walking with Welington Dias. “This pen here is a tribute to the State of Piauí”. The state of Piauí recorded the highest proportional vote for Lula in the 2022 elections, with more than 76% of the vote. With the signature, the inauguration and beginning of the term of office of the President of the Republic and his deputy are formalized. Listen on the National Radio Agency:

Agência Brasil