Israel-Hamas war becomes Lula’s focus after surgery – 10/16/2023 – Power

President Lula (PT) has resumed his work agenda in recent days, after undergoing hip surgery at the end of September, with meetings focused on the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.

This Monday (16), the president had his first face-to-face meeting with ministers at Palácio da Alvorada since he began his recovery. The meeting was with ministers Mauro Vieira (Foreign Affairs) and Fernando Haddad (Finance), as well as special advisor to the Presidency Celso Amorim.

There was also an expectation that the president would participate virtually in an event at Palácio do Planalto to mark 20 years of the Food Acquisition Program. It would be Lula’s first public speaking appearance since the surgery, but the president ended up not participating.

The Chief Executive had surgery on his hip and eyelids at the end of September. He followed medical recommendations and spent two weeks without receiving visitors at the official residence of the Presidency — only his chief of staff was at the official residence to collect signatures on vetoes and sanctions.

Lula chose not to hand over the position to vice Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) both during the surgery and during the recovery period.

The deputy was selected for missions that required high representation from the government, such as the trip to the North region affected by the drought. Despite not attending, Lula wanted to participate in decisions on this and other matters, holding video conferences. In these broadcasts, he appeared wearing sunglasses.

The work schedule after the surgery was intensified with the attack by the terrorist group Hamas on Israeli territory, followed by the response and declaration of war. The sequence of events took place in the month in which Brazil presides over the UN Security Council (United Nations), which increased the international spotlight on the country’s diplomatic activities.

The topic has become central and has consumed the agent’s commitments, whether in person or virtually. Lula has received information both about the repatriation operation of Brazilians in Israel and the Gaza Strip and in diplomatic discussions at the UN Security Council.

The president also held phone calls with leaders of countries in the region.

Lula’s assistants say he will alternate work commitments with daily physiotherapy sessions.

Despite having resumed his official schedule, Lula will still not return to his weekly live broadcast, Café com o Presidente. The program is traditionally held on Tuesdays. Since undergoing surgery, the agent has not made any further transmissions of this type.

The president appeared publicly only in photos, on two occasions. His team released images of telephone calls with the presidents of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, Isaac Herzog and Mahmoud Abbas, respectively.

The repatriation of Brazilian citizens in the region has been one of the sides of the government’s action in the face of the conflict.

By next Wednesday (18), more than 1,100 people will have been rescued on FAB (Brazilian Area Force) flights.

The main concern is a group of 28 people who are trying to leave the Gaza Strip, but the border with Egypt remains closed to crossings.

Brazil’s negotiations involve Egypt, Israel and the United States to find a way to authorize their departure safely. Brazil also defends the establishment of a humanitarian corridor for aid to enter Gaza.

Thousands of people, including this group of Brazilians, remain trapped in the territory waiting for an agreement to flee the region towards Egypt.

Lula underwent surgery on September 29th.

Such as Sheet showed, information related to the president’s health has been treated in a non-transparent manner by his allies and team, in order to avoid establishing a negative and fragile image of the 77-year-old president.

Lula spent the first week of recovery performing the exercises prescribed by his physiotherapists, with few work activities. One of the few interruptions in this process, in the first days after surgery, was to sanction the bill with the rules of the Desenrola debt renegotiation program.