Lula says the creation of meat vouchers is “nonsense” and defends nationalized police

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) denied that the government intends to create a “meat voucher”. Last week, the Civil House and the Ministry of Agrarian Development received the proposal to create the “Carne no Prato” program. The project was presented by Guilherme Bumlai, president of the Association of Breeders of Mato Grosso do Sul (Acrissul), and proposes the distribution of R$35 per family to purchase two kilos of beef per month.

“There is no such thing as meat voucher nonsense,” said the president in an interview with SBT. He confirmed that the proposal was received by the government, but without citing the author. “A citizen delivered a letter to a minister and that minister sent this letter to the Civil House and told the press that he would study. What will actually happen is that we need to lower the price of meat”, said Lula.

“I laughed a lot when I saw the news about the meat voucher, honestly. I didn’t believe it could be true,” she added. The president mentioned that meat “has already dropped”, but not to the level that the government would like.

Lula defends “nationalized police” and investment in intelligence

Lula stated that his “dream” is the implementation of a “strong and prepared” nationalized police force. The president was asked about public security projects in the country. “I dream of a very strong national police, very prepared, for interventions and moments that are very necessary”, he highlighted.

The Chief Executive also defended investment in intelligence and a greater number of police officers. “[A polícia] it needs to be better prepared, we have to make a lot of investment in intelligence, because we effectively need more intelligence in the police and public security, and we need to have more police officers on the streets”, he stated.

President talks about expanding search location for fugitives from Mossoró

Lula commented on the escape of two prisoners from the Mossoró Federal Penitentiary, in Rio Grande do Norte. On the 14th, Rogério da Silva Mendonça and Deibson Cabral Nascimento, linked to Comando Vermelho, escaped from the maximum security prison. Around 600 security forces agents are working to recapture them. The agent highlighted the work of the task force, but pointed out that the fugitives may have left the region or are receiving help from other people.

“We have the Federal Police, the Federal Highway Police, the National Police, the police from the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and Paraíba. We have a contingent of at least 250 police officers day and night trying to locate him. There is only one hypothesis: either these guys have already managed to leave the region we are investigating, or these guys are being helped by someone,” he said.

The president stated that he spoke this Monday (11) with the Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, about the case. The minister must go to Mossoró to assess the need to expand the investigative space in which the searches are being carried out. “The time will come when you won’t keep looking. But for now, we have to stay there because society is scared and they are two dangerous bandits,” he said.