The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, a candidate for re-election, refuted former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by questioning the statistics that indicate that 33 million Brazilians are hungry, although he acknowledged that “there are people who have a bad time.”
“Have you seen someone asking for bread at the bakery’s checkout? It is not seen. Are there people who have a bad time? Yes. But whoever is on the poverty line, going hungry, well, he can ask for subsidies », affirmed the president in an interview with the Jovem Pan radio station.
The far-right leader, second in the polls behind Lula, invited the poorest population to enter “the mobile application of the Caixa Económica Federal”, a public bank, and request the aid promoted by his Government until December for a value minimum of 600 reais (US$120).
DATA
The data of 33.1 million Brazilians going hungry, which is equivalent to 16% of the country’s population, was released last June by the Brazilian Network of Research on Food and Nutritional Sovereignty and Security based on a survey conducted in 12,745 homes in the country.
Lula, who governed Brazil between 2003 and 2010, usually mentions that figure in his electoral rallies to criticize the economic management of the Bolsonaro government.
In his defense, the head of state said in Jovem Pan, which reached 600,000 users on his YouTube channel during the interview, that “it is very easy to release numbers” and blamed them on the restrictions adopted by governors and mayors to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
“Today, if I’m not mistaken, extreme poverty is even those who earn US$1.9 a day. That’s 10 reais. The subsidy today pays 20 reais per day. Then those 30 million can seek the subsidy to solve the problem, “said the retired Army captain.
Lula, who has promised to end hunger if he returns to power, is the great favorite to win the elections on October 2 with more than 40% of the support, compared to the 30% that Bolsonaro would obtain, according to all the published polls. till the date. EFE
