MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula da Silva criticizes the press, attacks “false democrats’” editorials

The Brazilian president has had a love-hate relation with the local media

Brazilian president Lula da Silva blasted the “false democrats” who write “fancy editorials” in newspapers, suggesting the media corporations are attempting to embarrass his government in an election year.

“Every now and then it’s good to read newspapers’ editorials to see the behaviour of some ‘false democrats’ that call themselves ‘democrats’ but who really want to be the only voice in the planet”, said Lula da Silva during the National Culture Conference which is debating the current media model in Brazil.

“Look at the news because politics and elections are also culture” recommended Lula da Silva and then recalled press “campaigns” of the past such as the one against the nationalization of oil, in the fifties, and attributed this attitude to the submission of media corporations to foreign interests.

“In Brazil we have people who like to think small, who prefers to be second class”, added the Brazilian president.

Lula da Silva inaugurated this week the National Culture Conference where the main issues of the area are being debated, among which, increasing the content of Brazilian production in national television programs.

Last December Lula da Silva participated of the National Conference on Communications when it was agreed to reform the current media model prevalent in the country by reviewing radio and television stations licences and guarantee “the right to information for the people”.

The Brazilian radio and television association, which represents the media corporations, criticized the conference and claimed that the purpose was a government campaign to curtail “freedom of expression”.