Delays to transfer funds ensured social programs, Lula says

Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared Tuesday (Oct. 13) that President Rousseff's delays to transfer funds to state-owned banks, provided the resources for social programs. "Dilma did maneuvers to pay the Bolsa Família program [subsidy program for the poor]. She did maneuvers to pay the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program [affordable housing program]. Everyone knows that the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program, [for people who earn] up to three minimum salaries, receives a huge subsidy from the government," he said while addressing at the opening ceremony of the 1st Seminar of the Movement of Small Farmers in São Bernardo do Campo, metropolitan region of São Paulo.

Delays, the so-called maneuvers, are being used by the opposition bench to publicly defend the president's impeachment. According to Lula, this stance is not democratic. He said that part of the society hates him and the Workers' Party due to social advances in recent years. "Hatred flared up against us comes from the fact that we've improved a little. Even if just a little," he said.

For Lula, the groups attacking the government want to retrogress on policies implemented by him and Dilma Rousseff. "One of the achievements that these angry people want to put into practice is to end social policies."

Among the government's achievements, Lula pointed out the programs that expanded access to higher education by providing scholarships and student loans. "We could ensure that the bricklayer's son could become an engineer, the housemaid's daughter could become a doctor, a political scientist, a philosopher, or whatever she wanted."

Lula announced that will advise the president to move closer to the population and social organizations, like the Movement of Small Farmers.

"When we have problems, when things are not quite right, we have no choice. We must meet people to receive oxygen, so that it makes sense to govern. Because it is exactly for people like you that we've thought about creating a political party," he said.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta