MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula tells Mexico Bolsonaro meant a setback for Brazilians

Lula, “great friend of Mexico and the cause of justice,” Ebrard said.

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva said Tuesday in Mexico that his country was going backward under the leadership of Jair Bolsonaro, whom he is expected to remove from office through this year's elections.

Lula stressed in an interview with La Jornada that 116 million people were going through food insecurity. The former head of state has arrived in Mexico to meet with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the National Palace Wednesday.

“We have a government that does not really govern, that focuses on lies and respects absolutely nothing: Not the indigenous, nor the black, nor women... and treats governors and mayors as enemies,” Lula stressed.

Bolsonaro's performance “is a direct result of the anti-politics sentiment of the elites, with the help of media sectors planted in Brazil, but it will be overcome this year at the polls,” Lula hoped.

The elites never accepted governments that acted independently and for the poorest. “The idea that the children of the poor could enter universities, thanks to affirmative action programs and financial support, was never accepted by the elites,” Lula explained.

He added that following their failure at defeating democratically-elected progressive governments, the elites created “a kind of anti-politics” with the support of mainstream media. Through that mechanism they promoted the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff and all legal charges against Lula himself, La Jornada pointed out.

Bolsonaro was the consequence of that. After three years in office, the life expectancy of Brazilians has been shortened by four years. Brazil is also the country with the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths. “There is hunger and weapons are scattered throughout society,” Lula elaborated.

He also highlighted Brazil and Mexico were the two largest economies in Latin America. He also praised AMLO for consolidating Mexico's autonomy “without creating antagonisms.”

Lula also said it was necessary to go beyond trade. “We need to work in a world of cooperation, balance and peace, with representative and effective international institutions.”

“Environmental problems, especially global warming, the pandemic and the brutal inequalities within and between countries, require a profound reform of global governance,” he went on.

Upon landing in Mexico City, Lula was welcomed by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, despite being just a private citizen. Hardly anyone, except Russian President Vladimir Putin, welcomes Bolsonaro these days, regardless of his Presidential status.

“Welcome Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, great friend of Mexico and the cause of justice. You begin your visit to our country, where you are loved and respected. Very happy to see you among us,” Ebrard posted on Twitter.

According to media reports, Lula's trip was originally scheduled for January but needed to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.