On the eve of Independence Day, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended democracy and “civilized” coexistence between opposing groups, in a speech broadcast on national radio and television on Friday night (6).
“Tomorrow is the day to celebrate Brazil’s independence. And it is also a good time to celebrate democracy. No country is truly independent without the full exercise of democracy,” said the president, in a video lasting just over 4 minutes.
“Democracy is more than voting on election day. It is fighting for the achievement of rights. The right to have three meals a day, to live with dignity, to have a good job, a fair salary, security to take care of the family and to achieve a better future for our children,” he added.
By highlighting that democracy is not a “pact of silence”, but a debate of divergent opinions in society, the president emphasized that this must be done in an environment of respect, and condemned the spread of hatred and the delegitimization of the popular will.
“Democracy is dialogue, it is civilized coexistence between opposites. It is respect for the will of the people freely expressed at the polls. It is not the right to lie, spread hatred and attack the will of the people. In decisive moments in history, the defense of democracy is capable of uniting long-time adversaries. This was the case in the construction of the alliance to guarantee the country’s governability, after the 2022 elections”, he commented, citing the political arc of alliances created after the attempted coup on January 8, 2023.
“The victory of democracy allowed us to bring back the social inclusion policies that lifted millions of people out of poverty. It allowed us to once again have an active and proud foreign policy, worthy of Brazil’s greatness. It allowed health and education to once again be priorities. It allowed science to defeat denialism. And it allowed the fight against all forms of inequality to return to the agenda.”
In his speech, Lula praised his government’s measures, such as the resumption of construction projects through the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), job creation and the lifting of 24.5 million people out of hunger. The president also highlighted the creation of a National Public Security Policy, in dialogue with the 27 governors. “Together, we will defeat organized crime.”
This Saturday morning, Lula will participate in the traditional civic-military parade for Independence Day, at the Esplanada dos Ministérios, in Brasília.
