Lula says on TV that hatred left scars and talks about restoring peace after provocations in office – 12/24/2023 – Power

President Lula (PT) said on Sunday night (24), Christmas Eve, that the hatred of some against democracy left scars and divided the country, but that it emerged victorious after January 8, the day in which supporters of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) invaded and vandalized the headquarters of the three Powers.

The PT member recognized that “peace and unity still need to be restored” and stated that the first year of his mandate was a time to “plant and rebuild”. He said that economic results will be harvested in 2024 and praised the recent approval of the tax reform, enacted last week.

Lula made the statements during a speech on national radio and television to celebrate Christmas. The president used his speech lasting just over 5 minutes to call for unity in the country, particularly among families, in order to overcome the differences caused by political polarization.

“The hatred of some against democracy left deep scars and divided the country. It disunited families. It put democracy at risk. They broke windows, invaded and vandalized public buildings, destroyed works of art and historical objects,” said the PT member.

“Fortunately, the attempted coup had the opposite effect. It united all institutions, mobilized political parties above ideologies, provoked a prompt reaction from society. And, at the end of that sad 8th of January, democracy emerged victorious and strengthened. We were able to restore the windows in record time, but we need to restore peace and unity between friends and family.”

This stance, however, contrasts with other speeches, in which he maintains attacks on his predecessor and his supporters, and thus continues to stimulate political polarization. He recently called Bolsonaro a “thug” and “thing”, among other adjectives.

The president also took stock of the first year of his third term. As he has stated in his speeches, he sought to convey optimism through the image that the seeds were planted in 2023 and that the main results are yet to come.

He highlighted, for example, the positive perspectives for Brazil in relation to the environment and the energy transition. The president and his government have been stating that the country can become a green energy Saudi Arabia — in reference to the world’s leading oil exporting country.

“2023 was the time to plant and rebuild. We plowed the land, sowed the seeds, watered it every day, we took great care of Brazil and the Brazilian people. We created all the conditions to have a generous harvest in 2024”, he stated .

He highlighted the return and strengthening of some PT management brands such as Bolsa Família, Minha Casa, Minha Vida and Mais Médicos. Lula’s recorded speeches were accompanied by images of the country and scenes from some of the international commitments he had throughout the year.

In the economy, the PT member listed, in addition to the tax reform, GDP growth “above market forecasts” and inflation under control. He said fuel prices are falling and food is getting cheaper. “The dollar has fallen and the stock market is breaking records,” he said.

President Lula also mentioned that the government, together with the states, is combating organized crime. The escalation of violence in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, the increase in police lethality and the signals exchanged when dealing with allied and opposing governors led to the Lula administration being criticized and accused of skidding on public security crises.

“We are supporting states in the fight against organized crime. In addition to heavy weapons, we seized R$6 billion in drug trafficking assets, including cash, apartments, mansions, luxury cars and even planes and helicopters,” he said.

Despite the message of reconciliation, Lula has made statements that continue to encourage political polarization.

To an audience of party candidates, on the 17th, Lula said: “You can’t accept provocation or be scared. When the dog barks at us, we don’t lower our heads, we bark at him too.”

Two days earlier, at the inauguration of a highway bypass on the BR-101 in Serra (ES), the PT member raised the tone of his attacks and called the former president a “thug” and “that thing”, in addition to accusing his political opponent of “use the faith of evangelicals”. Lula has also called Bolsonaro “bad people” for leading a government that “likes to fight.”

This was the third statement by the PT member on radio and television in the current administration. The first was on the eve of May 1st, Labor Day, when the president confirmed that his government would send a proposal to the National Congress to establish a new policy to increase the minimum wage.

The next statement took place on the eve of the Independence Day celebrations, when the president used, as now, a message of unity and overcoming hatred.

“Tomorrow will not be a day of hate or fear, but of unity. The day to remember that Brazil is one. That we dream the same dreams”, stated the president, at the time.

The slogan of that ceremony was “Democracy, sovereignty and union” and one of the objectives was to associate the Armed Forces with the concept of democracy, after months of distrust due to the military leadership’s proximity to Bolsonarism and even suspicions regarding the 8 of January.

That statement was also used to show economic progress in the first months of government.