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News > Brazil

Cry of the Excluded Commemorations in Brazil

  • "I have faith that Brazil will recover its flag, sovereignty and democracy," said former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Sep. 7, 2022. | Photo: Twitter/@Isam84

Published 7 September 2022
Opinion

Coincides with the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Brazil's independence. 

Thousands of Brazilians gathered this Wednesday in Sao Paulo and the main cities for the Cry of the Excluded, in a context of social setbacks, with high levels of poverty, famine and little help from the State.

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Demonstrators question which sectors benefited from independence in a country that, during Jair Bolsonaro's administration, saw an increase in the number of people facing food insecurity, housing shortages and little or no access to health services. In contrast, the wealthiest sector of the population saw their large fortunes grow.

In Sao Paulo, the demonstrators gathered in front of the Sé Cathedral. At the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) initiative and the popular committees of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's presidential campaign, they handed out breakfasts for 5 000 homeless people.

According to official figures, around 32 000 people live on the streets of Sao Paulo. The national housing deficit is estimated at 6 million homes and 33 million people are victims of hunger.

The Cry of the Excluded is a set of popular demonstrations during the Week of the Homeland, which ends on September 7. The objective is to draw attention to those who have been marginalized throughout its history.

Lula expressed via Twitter his "faith that Brazil will recover its flag, sovereignty and democracy," noting that "this day "should be a day of love and union for Brazil."

Bolsonaro, for his part, said in a speech to his supporters that the country is facing "a struggle between good and evil. The evil that lasted 14 years in our country, which almost destroyed our homeland," in reference to Lula and Dilma Rousseff governments. The president also mentioned the 1964 coup d'état and threatened that history might repeat itself. 

According to the latest Quaest poll, former president Lula leads the voting intention for the presidential elections, with 44 percent of the electorate in his favor. At the same time, Bolsonaro remains behind with 12 percentage points.

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