Temer Is Privatising, He Is Not Governing, Says Former President Lula

07/12/2016 - 11h17

Ex-President and Worker's Party member Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has criticised interim President and member of the Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Michel Temer, for the way he is choosing to govern Brazil.

This Monday (11) in Juazeiro, a town in the North East of Brazil, Lula stated that by privatising many of Brazil's services and companies, Temer is "undermining all the social programmes" successfully set up in the country, and "selling Brazil's patrimony."

"The government is gearing up to sell off Petrobras, Banco do Brasil and the Caixa Econômica, [three of Brazil's main commercial and financial entities]. The government is showing it does not know how to govern, and as a result, is having to sell off public patrimony. But the government should listen up: I know [how to govern]," Lula said.

In an interview that Folha published on Sunday (10), Temer revealed that the government was considering privatising two of the main airports in the country: Congonhas and Santos Dumont, in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, respectively. This is an attempt to raise funds and fill the hole in the government's budget.

"After extensive analysis, we may well go ahead on the privatisation of the airports. This could provide substantial amounts of money for the government," said Temer in the interview.

Accusing the opposition of "driving the coup" that overthrew Dilma Rousseff, Lula says that Temer knows deep down that the impeachment process was not right.

"Temer is well educated and an erudite man; a lawyer. He knows that the way the impeachment process has unfolded in Brazil is not correct; it is not constitutionally valid Only the people can overthrow Dilma," Lula said.

His speech was made in front of 2,000 rural workers in Juazeiro, the North of Bahia. The visit to the region is part of a three day programme touring North-eastern cities.

Lula will participate in anti-impeachment demonstrations in the region. The final verdict on the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff will be voted by the Senate in August.

Translated by GILLIAN SOPHIE HARRIS

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	Ricardo Stuckert/Instituto Lula
	Lula gave a speech in front of 2,000 rural workers in Juazeiro, in the North of Bahia