Rousseff: Using crisis to take over power is modern version of coup
President Dilma Rousseff said today (Sep. 16) that using the economic crisis facing the country as a tool to take over power is a modern version of a coup d'etat. She argued that several countries have been challenged by a crisis over the last years and that “breaking with democracy” has been proposed as an answer in none of them. The statements were made during a radio interview on Comercial AM, in the city of Presidente Prudente, where the president is expected to deliver housing units as part of the Minha Casa, Minha Vida affordable housing program.
The president highlighted Brazil's institutional solidity and once again called for the unity of political forces in putting Brazil back on track.
Rousseff went on to say that some people “do not seem to accept” the fact that Brazil is a solid democracy, founded on the legitimacy of the popular vote. “Those are the people who usually believe that the worse things get, the better it is; and that goes for all areas: the worse the better for the economy, the worse the better for politics—they're all looking for a chance to fish in muddy waters.”
The president highlighted Brazil's institutional solidity and once again called for the unity of political forces in putting Brazil back on track. “What we have to do is, we have to unite, as quickly as possible, regardless of our positions and personal or partisan interests, and take Brazil's side, the side that leads to a change in our situation. That's why we must stay calm and rest assured about something I can guarantee: the government has worked perennially and tirelessly to ensure the country's economic and political stability.”
Standard & Poor's
During the interview, the president made comments about the ratings agency Standard & Poor's having downgraded its rate for Brazil, but said the Brazilian economy is facing no problems as far as international credit is concerned, nor is the country having difficulty attracting foreign investment.
“We're taking all the measures for us—not because of the rating; we're fulfilling agreements and deals. We don't have international credit problems nor do we have problems bringing foreign investment to Brazil; in fact, we're one of the countries with the highest amounts of capital coming in for that,” she argued.
Rousseff also named countries that had their credit rating lowered in the last decade, such as the US, Spain, France, and Italy. The president said that the Brazilian economy will recover just as the others did. To achieve that goal, she noted, the government relies on measures aimed at curbing inflation, bringing the budget back into balance and encouraging investment. “All the countries were larger than their ratings, and Brazil is also larger than its rating. They've all resumed their growth, and that's going to be the case for Brazil as well.”
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Rousseff: Using crisis to take over power is modern version of coup
