President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated this Tuesday (2) that he has never known “any moment of denialism” like the one the country is experiencing today, in reference to the need for investments in education, especially for young people from needy communities. The statement was made during the inauguration of Impa Tech, the first undergraduate course at the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (Impa), in Rio de Janeiro.
He took the stage alongside Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes (PSD), of whom he is an ally and intends to help in his re-election in this year’s municipal elections. The statement was given at a time when Lula was explaining the need for young people to be at school studying as a “guarantee” that they will not be victims of organized crime.
“The moment we are living in is a delicate moment in the history of Brazil. I am 78 years old and I have never known a single moment of denial, lies, hatred or fake news how we live today. If we don’t invest in education, we are giving our young people away for free to denialists and organized crime”, stated the president (see excerpt).
Still during the speech, Lula reinforced that resources allocated to education should not be seen as expenses, but rather as investments in the country’s future – a common statement in presentations related to this – highlighting that it is everyone’s right and that the State must make this commitment.
Lula also highlighted the importance of investing in specific areas, such as mathematics, exact sciences and engineering, to form a “highly qualified workforce”.
The president’s speech followed the lines of Paes’ previous presentation, who also defended public investment in higher education as an attraction for private investors. The mayor of Rio emphasized the importance of training qualified professionals to attract investments and retain talent.
The meeting between Lula and Paes takes place amid negotiations over the nomination of the vice-president on the mayor’s re-election ticket. One of the names mentioned is Anielle Franco, who will join the PT at a party event in the evening.
However, Paes has resisted the idea of including people from outside his political group on the ticket, seeking to maintain influence over the Rio Executive with a view to a possible candidacy for state government in 2026.
In addition to the meeting with Paes and Anielle, Lula also went to Niterói (RJ), in Greater Rio, to participate in the ceremony announcing the start of dredging works in the São Lourenço Channel, providing access to the port.
The city is the electoral base of opposition deputy Carlos Jordy (PL-RJ), pre-candidate for mayor of the city and who leaves the leadership of the opposition in the Chamber this week.
