07/20/2024 – 14:05
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) criticized this Wednesday, the 17th, the publication, through the press, of phrases from his speeches “taken out of context”. For the head of the Executive, it gives the impression “that the country is in a permanent war”. “It is a phrase from the news taken out of context, which, preferably, if it can create intrigue, so much the better. If it can’t, that’s not a problem”, said Lula during a ceremony at the Planalto Palace.
The statement comes in the same week that the president made controversial public statements. On Tuesday, the 16th, in an interview with TV Record, the PT member said that, with “more important things to do”, there was no obligation to avoid a deficit in the public accounts. The excerpt from the interview caused movements in the stock market and in the dollar exchange rate throughout the day.
On the same day, in the afternoon, Lula met with businesspeople from the food sector and commented on a survey that confirmed the increase in domestic violence after football matches. The president said that the data was “unbelievable”, but added that “if the guy is a Corinthians fan, that’s fine”.
This was not the first time he had complained about the negative repercussions of a gaffe. Since the beginning of his third presidential term in January 2023, Lula has made a number of public blunders and, in some cases, complained about the way his statements were reported by the press. See below the exact situation of each gaffe that, according to the PT member, was “taken out of context” by the press.
‘You are not obligated to set a goal and achieve it if you have more important things to do’
On Tuesday morning, the 16th, Lula gave an interview to journalist Renata Varandas, from TV Record. The president said that it is acceptable not to meet the fiscal target if there are “more important things to be done” and that there was no problem in registering a 0.2% deficit in the public budget.
In the same interview, Lula said he would do everything possible to comply with the new fiscal rules. “We will do whatever is necessary to comply with the fiscal framework. During the campaign, I said that we would create a country with political, legal, fiscal, economic and social stability. I can say this responsibility, this commitment, as if I were saying it to my son or my wife: I didn’t learn fiscal responsibility in college, I bring it from birth,” said the PT member.
The president also stated that he was not a “first-time sailor” and said that he had a “historical and conceptual difference with the people in the market”. “It’s just that not everything they treat as an expense, I treat as an expense. Sometimes I get irritated because I’m not a first-time sailor.”
On the same Tuesday, Lula stated, during a meeting held at the Planalto Palace with representatives of the food industry, that “the poorest people do not buy dollars, they buy food”. The statement that had the greatest impact at the meeting, however, was related to domestic violence.
‘If the guy is a Corinthians fan, that’s fine’
At the beginning of the meeting with businesspeople, which took place in the afternoon, Lula praised the presence of women at the meeting. The president reinforced that he has made efforts to increase female participation in positions in his government.
Addressing Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, he said he had learned about a study that indicated an increase in cases of domestic violence after football matches. The PT member said the data was “unbelievable,” but then added a comment about the sporting performance of his team, Corinthians.
Today, I heard some sad news. I heard that there is a study, by Haddad, that shows that violence against women increases after a football match. Unbelievable. If the guy is a Corinthians fan, that’s fine. But I don’t get upset when I lose, I deeply regret it. So, I would like to congratulate the women who are here.
The president stressed that the meeting was a historic moment due to the number of women present. “It is commendable, it is extraordinary. It is the first meeting we have held with businesspeople that has nine women. Honestly, it is a historic milestone,” he said.
Lula also said that he is being pressured by First Lady Rosângela da Silva, Janja, to have more women in the top echelons of government. “I am the president with the most experience in this country, the one who has held the most meetings, and I have never held a meeting with so many women like this one. And I am happy because Janja is always pushing me. She takes a picture and realizes that there are only men at the table, and when she gets home, she asks me: ‘where are the women?’” he said.
Representatives of the food industry who participated in the hearing announced investments of R$120 billion in the country between 2023 and 2026.
‘Haddad has to, instead of reading a book, spend a few hours talking in the Senate and the Chamber’
On April 22, Lula demanded greater commitment from his main ministers in negotiations with Congress, and also complained about the publication of the statement he made during the launch of the Acredita program, aimed at credit for micro-entrepreneurs.
The reprimand was directed at Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), who is also Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, and at Ministers Fernando Haddad (Finance), Wellington Dias (Social Development) and Rui Costa (Civil House).
“Talk to group A, group B. It’s difficult, but we can’t complain because politics is exactly like that. Either you do it this way or you don’t get into politics,” said Lula at the time, at a time when the PT government was facing problems in Congress.
Kim Kataguiri, pre-candidate of the Brazilian Union in São Paulo
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The following day, during a coffee with journalists at Planalto, Lula spoke about his relationship with the press since the 2000s. The president said that caution is needed when making statements such as the demands made on ministers, so as not to leave “room” for other interpretations. “Anything you say can become a headline,” he said.
On Wednesday, the president spoke again about the importance of being careful when speaking to a specific audience. Lula said that he was instructed by Janja to choose his words carefully for the closing speech at the National Conference on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in Brasília.
“When I came to speak here, Janja warned me about something. She said: ‘Honey, be careful with every word you say, because these people are very sensitive,’” said the president.
“So, I decided to read so that I wouldn’t say anything that could get me into trouble. Also, if I say anything, you know that you are the experts on this subject. You know that I am illiterate and I need to learn a lot from you so that we can learn to take care of you with the affection and respect that is necessary,” said Lula.
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