President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated, this Tuesday morning (23), that the Brazilian economy will grow more than what experts have said so far.
“The economy in 2024 will grow more than what all economic analysts have said so far, all of them, without distinction. And it will grow because things are happening in Brazil.”
During breakfast with journalists at Palácio do Planalto, in Brasília, President Lula challenged press professionals to study what has happened in the country in the last 14 months, under his management.
“You will see that, never before in the history of Brazil, there has been a number of social inclusion policies put into practice, some that we had already implemented and that had disappeared and are now returning. And others that are starting to come back.”
Spending and investment
Lula further explained that the announcement made this Monday (22) of credit facilitation and debt renegotiation for individual microentrepreneurs (MEI) and micro and small companies was the last major announcement made to prepare the country for growth. “We sowed the land, planted the seed, fertilized it, covered the land, we are watering it, now it’s time to harvest.”
Lula understands that Brazil is going through a good moment and, as president, he feels “extremely satisfied”. The president, however, criticized that investments made in the country are often seen as just expenses. The president explained that he considers that investments in education and, consequently, having qualified labor, and offering credit make a country grow.
“The problem is that everything in Brazil is treated as an expense. Lending money to the poor is spent, putting money into healthcare is spent, putting money into education is spent, putting money into anything is spent. The only thing that is not spent is the primary surplus. It seems like the only thing that is treated as an investment is this. What is expense? I always struggle with this, because, in Brazil, sometimes we discuss very secondary things”, said President Lula.
External credibility
Lula also highlighted the moment of gradual recovery in vehicle production in Brazil and the opening of factories. According to him, investments in the country are returning, especially with the latest announcements in the automobile industry. For him, Brazil once again had confidence in the international market.
“What happened is that all companies, without distinction, announced a lot of investment [no país]. In a demonstration that Brazil today enjoys an external credibility that we did not have even in my first two terms. Our return and the guarantee of the democratic process in this country generated extraordinary expectations”.
Press Coverage
At the opening of the meeting with journalists, the chief minister of the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, Paulo Pimenta, criticized the press coverage of the launch of the Believe Program, this Monday (22) which, according to the minister, did not would have given due emphasis to joint measures to democratize access to credit for the most vulnerable in the country.
According to Pimenta, instead of publicizing the program, journalists reported the president’s joke of charging ministers, such as the vice-president and minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin and the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad.
“President Lula made a joke, as a rhetorical resource, that anyone who was there realized that it was a generous and affectionate way that President Lula normally does with people he cares about — he did a joke with Alckmin, with Haddad, with Rui and with Wellington — we have headlines in a large part of the Brazilian press, not advertisements.”
So many important announcements, millions of reais of unprecedented credit end up secondary, as if that joke had been a criticism, a scolding, a reprimand from President Lula, dissatisfied with his team or with those ministers he mentioned.
For the Secom minister, President Lula’s meeting with the press this Tuesday morning is an opportunity to qualify the government’s relationship with the press. “Anyone who had good will, common sense and was there saw that it was a joke. This way, the president won’t even be able to play anymore”, he criticized.
Expanded article at 1:30 pm.
