January 10, 2023

10:01

Priscilla Peixoto – from Amazon Agency

MANAUS – At a meeting with governors on the night of Monday, 9, to address the coup acts promoted by extremists bolsonarists on Sunday, 8, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said that “there will be no coup” and stressed the importance of respect for democracy. The meeting took place at the Planalto Palace and was attended by the president of the House of Representatives, Arthur Lira, and the president of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Rosa Weber.

“They want a coup and there will be no coup. They have to learn that democracy is the most complicated thing for us to do, because it requires us to put up with others, it requires us to live with those we don’t like, those we don’t get along with, but it is the only regime that allows everyone the chance to compete, and whoever wins has the right to govern”, highlighted the president.

Solidarity

The meeting was attended by governors and representatives of the 27 states of the country. During the speeches, divided in one representative per region, the repudiation to extremist acts and support to the federal government was unanimous. The governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, spoke as a representative of the Northern Region of the country.

“We are here not to defend leftist or rightist ideas, but to defend the democracy of this country. What we saw, yesterday, in the capital, was not a political demonstration. What we saw yesterday was terrorism, a frontal act of attempted State coup”, highlighted Helder right at the beginning of the meeting.

Among the governors who had a moment to speak was the governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Fátima Bezerra (PT). The governor regretted what happened and stressed that the heads of state will be “firm” in front of the Brazilian democracy.

“It was very painful for those of us who love democracy to see yesterday’s scenes, the violence that struck at the heart of the Republic, when it attacked the most important institutions of the democratic rule of law (…) the governors’ attitude could not be any other, to be here today, to say that we are standing firm, in harmony and in tune with the other powers, in defense of democracy, and to make it very clear that yesterday’s acts cannot remain unpunished in any way”, said Fatima.

The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republican), Celina Leão (PP), acting governor of the Federal District, and the governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite (PSDB), were also some of the state representatives who spoke.

Electoral process

Also in his speech, Lula defended democracy and the electoral process. “The electoral result happened and was respected by a large part of society, but a part of the losers didn’t accept it and are in the streets claiming what? They are in front of the barracks in almost the entire national territory. They are claiming a coup”, said the president.

Lula also recalled the respect for the results he suffered at the ballot box in previous elections. “Every time I lost, I went home. These people started to claim denial of the electoral result.”