Lula argues that democracy is the capacity for ‘civilized coexistence between opposites’

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva argued, in a national speech this Friday, the 6th, that democracy is the capacity for “civilized coexistence between opposites”. He also said that democracy “is debate between divergent opinions” and “dialogue”.

“Democracy is debate between divergent opinions, dialogue and civilized coexistence between opposites. It is respect for the will of the people expressed at the polls. It is not the right to lie, spread hatred and attack the will of the people,” he said.

In the traditional speech broadcast on national radio and TV in honor of Independence Day, celebrated on September 7, Lula said that “no country is truly independent without the full exercise of democracy, which is more than voting on election day.”

The president said that the defense of democracy “is capable of uniting long-time adversaries”, a reference to his alliance with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, against whom he ran for President of the Republic in 2006.

“This was the case when building the alliance to guarantee the country’s governability after the 2022 elections. This was the case on January 8, 2023, when democrats from almost all parties came together to defeat the coup attempt. From that day on, we made it clear to the world that Brazil is a country where peace and freedom prevail, but it is not a territory without law and order,” he declared.

The president cited a series of positive data from his government. He said that “the victory of democracy allowed us to bring back social inclusion policies that lifted thousands of people out of poverty, to have an active and proud foreign policy, worthy of Brazil’s greatness, to make health and education priorities again, to defeat denialism and to put the fight against all forms of inequality back on the agenda.”

The President of the Republic also emphasized that the federal government has established partnerships with governors and mayors “regardless of their political party.” “This was the case when selecting priority PAC projects for each state and municipality. This was the case when providing immediate assistance to victims of disasters, such as the floods in Rio Grande do Sul and the fires in the Pantanal and Amazon regions,” he said. Lula also emphasized that he intends to create a national public security policy, a recurring theme of criticism of left-wing parties among the 27 governors.

He mentioned the government’s assistance to people who are going hungry, the drop in unemployment and the growth of the economy. On Wednesday, the 4th, the IBGE announced that the GDP increased 1.4% in the second quarter of this year, above the 0.9% projected for the period by analysts from financial institutions. The services (1%) and industry (1.8%) sectors contributed to the improvement. “We have many challenges ahead, but we are on the right track. This is the beginning of a journey towards a better Brazil for the Brazilian family”, he said, concluding his speech.