“The dream of the poor in the Northeast is to be poor in the South”, says Múcio

The Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro, said this Monday (19) that the “dream of the poor” in the Northeast is to live in the South of the country. The declaration took place during the panel “National Defense, present and future of Brazil”, promoted by the Institute for Reform of Relations between State and Business (IREE).

“I say that we are five countries, not even the poor are the same in this country. The dream of the poor in the Northeast is to be poor in the South, who will live in a different region”, he said. The minister, who is from Pernambuco, commented on how Brazil, a large country, faces problems in each region.

After the repercussions, the Ministry of Defense stated, in a note, that Múcio intended to “emphasize that the difference in per capita income between the Northeast and the South and Southeast regions is unfair and needs to end”, reported the newspaper O Globo. During the same event, Múcio also said that there was no “great leader” behind the acts of vandalism on January 8.

“There were individual wills for a coup. But there was no leader. Did any military from the Army, any from the Air Force, any from the Navy want a coup? I believe so. But the people who came to Praça dos Três Poderes on the 8th they didn’t leave there [do acampamento em Brasília]. It was people from outside encouraged by irresponsible, rioters. The Armed Forces did not participate,” he said.