Lula says the market is greedy and will hardly achieve zero deficit

During coffee with journalists, this Friday (27), President Lula (PT) said that the market is often “greedy” and that it will be difficult to meet the target of zero fiscal deficit established by the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, for 2024 According to the minister, meeting the target is essential to keep the fiscal framework in place.

“We will hardly reach target zero because we do not want to cut investments and works. I’m not going to start the year by cutting billions in the works that are a priority in this country. I think that, often, the market is too greedy and keeps demanding the target that they believe will be met”, said Lula.

The PT member also said that public accounts could have a hole of between 0.25% and 0.5% of GDP.

“Everything we can do to meet the fiscal target, we will do. What I can say is that it doesn’t need to be zero. We don’t need this […] If Brazil has a deficit of 0.5%, what is it? 0.25% what is it? Anything. So, let’s make the right decision and we will do what will be best for Brazil”, he stated.

The event was only the PT member’s fifth meeting with the media since January. 37 journalists from 37 newspapers were present at the cafe.

Attacks in Rio de Janeiro

Asked about the wave of attacks in Rio de Janeiro, the president once again ruled out federal intervention and said he did not want the Armed Forces, in the favela, fighting with bandits. “As long as I’m president, there’s no GLO,” said Lula.

Crisis in Argentina

Lula held Argentina’s previous government responsible for the historic crisis in the neighboring country’s economy, which has been commanded since 2003, with the exception of the Macri government (2015-2019), by members of the São Paulo Forum.

The PT member also said he hopes that Argentines will choose “democracy” in the second round of the presidential elections, in which the government candidate faces the libertarian Javier Milei.

Recently, Lula was accused of interfering in Argentina’s elections with the release of a billion-dollar loan via the Development Bank of Latin America.

War in the Middle East

When talking about the war in the Middle East, the president said he was willing to talk to countries allied with Hamas to intervene for the release of the hostages, but highlighted that the same demand should be made to Israel so that the country could release the “Palestinian prisoners”. . Lula did not refer to Hamas as a terrorist group.