MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula da Silva accuses the Brazilian elite of defending ‘social inequality’

The charismatic leader announced his return to active politics

Former Brazilian president Lula da Silva claimed elites defend social inequality and anticipated he would be active again in politics ahead of the 2012 municipal elections.

Reduction of inequality is “uncomfortable for some people in Brazil”, where now the poor are managing to travel by aircraft and enjoying a greater consumption capacity.

“The rich don’t have an idea what it means to have a 100 Real bill (75 US dollars) in his hand for a poor person”, whose salaries have “significantly increased” in recent years, said Lula da Silva who ruled from 2003 to 2010 and has been considered the most successful president in the last half century based on his public opinion support.

“The more unions and assemblies we have the better quality of jobs”, added the former president who was leader of the metal unions in Sao Paulo since the end of the seventies.

Over the week end Lula da Silva supported the re-election of President Dilma Rousseff, but also anticipated he would be back in politics and will actively participate in the municipal elections of next year.

“I’m going to travel all over Brazil and talk to the people” promised Lula da Silva who is currently the honorary president of the ruling Workers Party which he helped found in the seventies.

Lula da Silva also talked about the current world slowdown and said it was “unacceptable” that United States transfers the load of its economic crisis to the developing countries.

“This crisis was not caused by the poor countries; it wasn’t born in Bolivia, Argentina or Brazil: it emerged in the United States and in Europe”.

“We can’t accept the US making a fiscal policy adjustment by devaluating the US dollar which only creates losses and problems to the foreign trade of the poorest countries”, said Lula da Silva.

The US dollar depreciated 45% vis-à-vis the Real since 2006, according to data from Brazil’s Finance ministry.

“We can’t allow that crisis from other countries cause damages and losses for Brazil”, said the former president.

He then went on to say that Brazil managed to overcome the 2008 world crisis much better and faster than all developed countries.

The former president said that the US, the EU and other developed countries haven’t been able in two years to overcome the situation.

“While President Obama has been in office for over two years without solving the crisis, while Europe for the last two years continues unable to address the crisis, we here in Brazil were out first and faster”, underlined the Brazilian leader.