President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opened the September 7 civic-military parade at 9:14 am this Saturday (7) at the Esplanada dos Ministérios in Brasília. This year’s theme is Democracy and Independence. It is Brazil on the Right Track.
President Lula arrived at the Esplanada in an open car, the presidential Rolls-Royce traditionally used in this ceremony, after reviewing the troops near the Planalto Palace.
The president was received by the Minister of Defense, José Mucio Monteiro, and by the commanders of the three Armed Forces.
In the event’s grandstand, alongside Lula, are the Vice President of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin, the President of the Federal Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco; the President of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Luís Roberto Barroso, and the Court’s ministers Alexandre de Moraes, Gilmar Mendes, Dias Toffoli, Cristiano Zannin and Edson Fachin.
Also present at the podium are the governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha; and the ministers of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski; of the Civil House, Rui Costa; of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha; of Women, Cida Gonçalves; of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva; of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira; of Management and Innovation in Public Services, Esther Dweck; of Culture, Margareth Menezes.
President Lula and authorities at the September 7th parade at the Esplanada dos Ministérios – Image reproduced from TV
Also present were the governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, and the minister of the Extraordinary Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic for Support to the Reconstruction of Rio Grande do Sul, Paulo Pimenta. Both attended the event to pay tribute to the state affected by heavy rains in May.
However, the absences of the Ministers of Finance, Fernando Haddad, and Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, and the First Lady, Janja da Silva, were noted.
The First Lady was invited by Qatar’s Sheikha Mozha bin Nasser al-Missned to attend the 5th International Day to Protect Education from Attacks in Doha.
The public in the stands on the Monumental Axis, in front of the authorities’ stand, greeted President Lula upon his arrival. The event organizers estimate that 30,000 people will attend the Independence Day celebrations.
Thematic axes
This year, the event celebrating Independence Day is organized into three thematic axes: Brazil’s rotating presidency of the G20 and the Summit of Heads of State to be held in November in the city of Rio de Janeiro; support and efforts to rebuild Rio Grande do Sul after the heavy rains in May; and the last axis deals with increasing protection of the population, especially children, through vaccination campaigns and the expansion of primary health care services, with the resumption of the federal government’s Mais Médicos program.
The parade will feature 30 Olympic athletes who competed in the Paris Games between July and August, as well as the Brazilian vaccination mascot, Zé Gotinha. Athlete Caio Bonfim, who won an unprecedented silver medal for Brazil in race walking in France, was the group’s flag bearer.
