A few days before the elections in the United States (USA), polarized between the Democrat Kamala Harris and the Republican Donald Trump, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated this Friday (1st) that the victory of the current vice-president of the northern country -American is safer for strengthening democracy.
“Democracy, for me, is the faithful mirror of a political system that allows opposites, allows antagonists, the civilized dispute between humanity in the discussion of ideas. So, I think that Kamala Harris winning the elections is much safer for us to strengthen democracy in the USA. It’s much safer. We saw what President Trump did at the end of his term, carrying out that attack on the Capitol. Something that was unthinkable to happen in the USA, because the USA presented itself to the US. world as a model of democracy. And that model collapsed,” said Lula in an interview with French TV channel TF1.
The presidential elections in the USA take place next Tuesday (5), but more than 60 million voters have already voted in person or by mail, according to data from the University of Florida. Still according to Lula, hatred and lies began to take over the political system not only in the United States, but in Europe and Latin America. “It’s fascism and Nazism working again with a different face,” he added.
Taxation of the super-rich
During the interview, which lasted around 20 minutes, Lula was asked about the Brazilian presidency of the G20, whose summit will be held this month in Rio de Janeiro, and cited the priority of building a global articulation to combat hunger.
“We are having a G20 in which people are discussing, as the main thing, a Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty. There is no longer any explanation why you have 733 million people going hungry when the world is self-sufficient in food production”, he stated.
To face the problem, the G20 must propose the creation of a tax on holders of large fortunes.
“We have 3 thousand people in the world who have a fortune of US$ 15 trillion. It is not possible that we do not have the competence to make these people pay a tribute to raise money to end hunger and the problems that persist in humanity,” said the president. Stipulated at a rate of 2%, the tax could generate revenue, according to Lula, of US$250 billion to US$300 billion, something like R$1.5 trillion.
The president compared this revenue to the more than US$2.4 trillion spent on wars and armed conflicts in recent years.
UN reform
Lula also defended profound changes in the arrangement of multilateral institutions, especially the United Nations (UN).
“The UN needs to change, be reformed. It is necessary to change the Security Council, to end the right of veto. It is necessary to include more African countries, more Latin American countries, it is necessary to include more Asian countries”, said the president, citing the need for countries such as Germany, India, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Mexico, among others, to be better represented at the UN.
War in Ukraine
Lula also commented on the war between Russia and Ukraine and suggested that the countries seek a negotiated solution, including the possible holding of referendums to address the occupation of Ukrainian territories by Russian forces.
“Russia says the territories they are occupying are Russian. Ukraine says it is theirs. But why, instead of war, don’t they hold a referendum to find out who the people want to stay with? It would be much simpler, much more democratic and much more fair. Let’s let the people decide. Let’s consult the people to find out if they want it”, he stated.
The president highlighted that neither Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, nor Volodymyr Zelensky, leader of Ukraine, will come to the G20 Summit in Brazil, and that the topic of war between the two countries will not be discussed.
