Lula: intelligence failed to alert on coup attempt
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said there was a failure of the government's intelligence services that did not alert him on the coup acts in Brasilia on January 8. 
"Here we have the Army intelligence, we have the GSI [Institutional Security Cabinet] intelligence, we have the Navy intelligence, we have the Air Force intelligence…the truth is that none of them warned the country’s president that this could happen," he said. The exclusive interview to the Globonews news channel, the first of this kind since Lula assumed his third term in office, was aired on Wednesday (Jan. 18).
"If I had known on Friday (6) that 8,000 people were going to come here, I wouldn't have left Brasilia. I wouldn't have done it. I left because everything was very calm…we were still experiencing the joy of the inauguration," he added.
Coup attempt
The president also mentioned the moments of tension with the invasion of the Planalto presidential palace and the headquarters of the National Congress and the Federal Supreme Court. He said he had the impression there was an effective coup attempt in the country. On that day he was in Araraquara, São Paulo state, from where he watched the acts unfold. For the president, there was connivance of people from the Armed Forces in the actions of the vandals.
"I was getting angry because it was unbelievable to see how people easily invaded the presidential palace and, in fact, they didn't break in to enter (the palace), they entered because the door was open, someone from inside the palace opened the door for them, that’s the only possibility, there was connivance from someone who was inside here," he stated.
Democratic Union
For Lula, the coup attempt failed because there was a strong democratic reaction. "They realized there was an immediate reaction, I am grateful to the governors that came to Brasília to show solidarity, we immediately got together and we realized we had to work together, Legislative, Executive and Judiciary. And then we joined together to guarantee Brazilian democracy.
Lula said everyone who is involved in the coup acts will be investigated. He called for punishment for those who have participated in the criminal actions. "These people have to be condemned, otherwise we cannot guarantee the existence and survival of democracy," he added.
The president accused Brasilia Public Security, especially the Military Police of the Federal District, for what he called "negligence" in ensuring the protection of public buildings.
Military commanders
During the interview, Lula confirmed he will have a meeting on Friday (20) with the commanders of the three forces: Army, Air Force, and Navy, at the Planalto presidential palace. The main point of the agenda is the modernization and purchase of military equipment. The president also said he will talk to the commanders to depoliticize the environment in the Armed Forces.
"It is necessary that the commanders assume the responsibility of saying: the soldier, the colonel, the sergeant, the lieutenant, the general, he has the right to vote, he has the right to choose who he wants to vote for. But, as he is a career position, he has to defend the Brazilian state, he is not part of Lula's army, he is not part of Bolsonaro's army, he was not part of Collor's army, he was not part of Fernando Henrique Cardoso's army, the Supreme Court doesn’t belong to Lula, you know? These institutions that protect this country don't need to have a party and don't need a candidate. They have to defend the Brazilian state and the Constitution," he said.
Travel
Lula confirmed he will travel to the United States, at the invitation of President Joe Biden, on February 18. Before that, he will go to Argentina and Uruguay next week. In March, he will visit China. And on January 30 President Lula will receive German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Brazil.
"I will take Brazil out of isolation, and I will make this country respected in the world again and become an international protagonist."
Reform
Concerning the tax reform, Lula suggested a change in the income tax rule to exempt lower- and middle-income people from paying tax. According to him, the tax system should be more progressive than the current model. "I don't know if you know that 60 percent of the people who pay income tax earn BRL 6,000 per month. These people are considered rich," he said. "Let's try to put in practice in the tax reform proposal, that up to BRL 5 thousand a person doesn't pay income tax. You know, we really need to do this,” he added.
