Neubauer Artists LLC Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The president expressed gratitude to society, saying he had learned many lessons and that there would now be direct communication with the people.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be president of Brazil for the fourth time, an unprecedented feat in Brazilian politics. The Workers’ Party candidate won the election on Sunday, October 25th, with 51.79% of the valid votes in the second round of the contest, against 48.21% for the far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro (PL).

Lula received 10 million more votes in the second round – 64.25 million votes – and won the election in 13 states, a completely unprecedented feat in the country’s electoral contests. Furthermore, the lowest abstention rate in the last 20 years was recorded. Brazilians gave a lesson in democracy in defeating fascism.

In his statement to the press after the victory declaration, the president expressed his gratitude to several people: Brazilian society, the elderly who voted, the rebelliousness and enthusiasm of the youth, journalists, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and especially to Congressman André Janones, responsible for a digital campaign that mobilized millions of people and allowed the spread of a pro-Lula wave on social media.

“Once again, I want to tell you that as soon as we win the elections, we no longer have adversaries. I have to govern for 215 million people, I have to govern for all ages.” However, the president registered his perplexity at having faced a dispute with a politician with Flávio Bolsonaro’s background: “Every year I meet with the world’s leading presidents to discuss the world’s main issues, but I never thought I would come face to face with a genuine representative of this country’s militia-like behavior. I never imagined that a person could lie so much, with such brazenness. As if there wasn’t a single cell of humanism inside him. It all seems fake.”

Lula admitted that he learned many lessons in the second round, the main one being the importance of digital communication. “I can guarantee you that we are going to change the way we govern this country. I want to tell you that we are going to make the people participate more in our decisions.” The president stated that he will speak directly to the people, without intermediaries and without being interpreted by the press. “I will say what I think, what I do.”

Respect for the Constitution

Lula acknowledged that it is difficult to speak of national unity, but stressed that he governs based on respect for the Constitution. He also said that the next Congress was also elected by the people, and it is with this Congress that he will have to negotiate in order to govern. “I will work and I will get things approved.”

According to the president, the victory in this election was not his or Alckmin’s. “It was honesty, nationalism, democracy, and the future you want for your children that made us win.”

Lula emphasized that his army was victorious and had become the army of democracy in this country.

“Once again, I want to tell you that as soon as we win the elections, we no longer have adversaries. I have to govern for 215 million people, I have to govern for all ages.” However, the president registered his perplexity at having faced a dispute with a politician with Flávio Bolsonaro’s background: “Every year I meet with the world’s leading presidents to discuss the world’s main issues, but I never thought I would come face to face with a genuine representative of this country’s militia-like behavior. I never imagined that a person could lie so much, with such brazenness. As if there wasn’t a single cell of humanism inside him. It all seems fake.”

Lula admitted that he learned many lessons in the second round, the main one being the importance of digital communication. “I can guarantee you that we are going to change the way we govern this country. I want to tell you that we are going to make the people participate more in our decisions.” The president stated that he will speak directly to the people, without intermediaries and without being interpreted by the press. “I will say what I think, what I do.”

Respect for the Constitution

Lula acknowledged that it is difficult to speak of national unity, but stressed that he governs based on respect for the Constitution. He also said that the next Congress was also elected by the people, and it is with this Congress that he will have to negotiate in order to govern. “I will work and I will get things approved.”

According to the president, the victory in this election was not his or Alckmin’s. “It was honesty, nationalism, democracy, and the future you want for your children that made us win.”

Lula emphasized that his army was victorious and had become the army of democracy in this country.

Regulation of big tech companies

The president addressed the need for regulation of digital platforms. “This election was one in which we had to overcome interference from the outside in, through digital platforms, which we will have to regulate. It’s unacceptable that we are unaware that a crime in the digital world must be treated the same as a crime in real life.”

Lula stated that big tech companies earn billions, pay no taxes to Brazil, and even tried to manipulate the election results.

Education and Health

Lula said that one of his biggest motivations in the second round was to win in order to prevent the far right from privatizing the SUS [Unified Health System]. The president addressed the need to expand and strengthen public health and stressed that priority in the next term will be given to “policies of care for our elderly, who are responsible for our existence.”

In the next government, there will be a continuation of a “revolution in Brazilian education.” “We will universalize full-time schooling in this country up to high school. We will universalize the ‘Pé-de-Meia’ program for high school and we will create a ‘Pé-de-Meia’ for university students so that no young person, no girl, will give up studying because they have to work.”

Respect for women and all religions.

The president also highlighted the importance of women’s vote and said that they will be prioritized in the next term. “I want to tell you that women will be treated with much more respect by Brazilian public policies.”

Lula also made a point of emphasizing that the Brazilian state is secular and that all religions will be respected. “It is the responsibility of the secular state to guarantee full religious freedom so that people can fully exercise their faith.”

“This country is ready to be built. I won’t use the words ‘national unity’ because that word doesn’t always fit this country, but I want you to know: if it depends on me, this country only has to be civilized. This country has a Constitution.”

Emotion and joy on Paulista Avenue

After the speech, the president went to Avenida Paulista and spoke to a crowd from atop a sound truck near MASP. Lula attributed his victory to the people and to democracy, and highlighted the phenomenon of street demonstrations in the second round of elections, as well as the strong digital engagement.

Lula reiterated all his commitments to education, youth, women, and the elderly, and again promised direct communication with his supporters of democracy. The president returned to Brasília in the early hours of Monday and said that, starting today, the 26th, he will begin the process of defining his next government.

Source: Partido dos Trabalhadores