The newly elected president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has pledged to govern for all Brazilians in his first statement after learning the results of Sunday’s elections, in which he also emphasized that there are not two Brazils and that the majority has chosen more respect, equality, freedom and fraternity.
«From January 1, 2023, I will govern for 215 million Brazilians and not only for those who voted for me,» the representative of the Workers’ Party (PT) who has won the victory with 50.9 percent of the votes with 99 percent of the vote counted, compared to 49.1 percent of his opponent, the hitherto president Jair Bolsonaro.
«There are not two Brazils. There is one people, one nation. No one is interested in living in a divided country in a permanent state of war. These people are tired of seeing the other as an enemy. It is time to lay down the weapons that should never have been wielded,» he said, alluding to the rest of the political parties, according to ‘O Globo’.
In addition, Lula da Silva has expressed that in these elections he was not only facing the other candidate (Bolsonaro), but the «Brazilian State machine» that was at his service to prevent him from winning. «I want to thank the Brazilian people who voted for me, who deigned to fulfill their citizen commitment,» said Lula, who said that he considers himself a citizen who has had a process of resurrection,» he has affirmed.
The Brazilian has recognized that he will govern the country in a «very difficult situation» but that he counts on the majority of the people to find a way out for Brazil through the instruments of democracy. For this reason, he promised that the Brazilian economy will «turn around again» and that minorities will be included in the budget, as well as farmers and small businessmen.
«The majority of the Brazilian people decided that they wanted more and not less respect and understanding among Brazilians; more and not less equality, freedom and fraternity in our country» Lula declared, referring to the plausible implications of the term democracy.
In economic matters, he also referred to the financial market, stating that the country must recover its «credibility, predictability and stability» so that domestic and foreign investors regain their confidence in it. He also pointed out that Brazil cannot limit itself to exporting raw materials and has committed to reindustrializing the country and investing in the green economy.
He has also put the spotlight on the hunger problem facing the country. «Our most urgent commitment is to get back to ending hunger. We cannot accept as normal that millions of men, women and children in this country have nothing to eat, or that they consume fewer calories and protein than they need,» he said.
Finally, he pledged to advance in the fight against violence against women and promised to confront racism, prejudice and discrimination, «so that whites, blacks and indigenous people have the same rights and the same opportunities.
He also pledged to resume the monitoring and surveillance of the Amazon and to fight against deforestation, since he considers it possible to generate wealth without destroying the environment. He has also stated that his government will be committed to the indigenous peoples.
Da Silva has also thanked God for his victory. «I want to begin this little speech with thanks to God. All my life I always thought that he was very generous with me, allowing me to leave from where I left and get to where I am,» he confessed.
