Bulletin 139 – People’s Committee in Defense of Lula and Democracy
Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil – 7/7/2018 – 8PM
1. Saturday, July 7th, marked the three month aniversary of the democratic resistance at the #LulaLivre Vigil. It started with a “good morning” yell to ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, that was strengthened with the voices of teachers, students and activists from the cities of Londrina (Paraná), Piracicaba, (São Paulo) and Rio Negrinho (Santa Catarina). Afterwords Manoel Antônio Roque, an activist from the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) in Rio Negrinho, said that the Vigil is a reference for denouncing the arbitrary, political imprisonment of Lula, and that it also enables people from different organizations and social movements to exchange knowledge about experiences to strengthen the Brazilian peoples’ struggle for rights.
2. In the morning, activists from the MST and the Frente de Lula por Moradia (Housing Struggle Front/FLM) from Paraná, Santa Catarina, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul distributed a newspaper which contained Lula’s Letter to the Brazilian People on XV de Novembro street in downtown Curitiba. According to the activists, the reception from passers by was positive, because they compared the advances that happened during the Lula government (2003-2010) to the setbacks of all kinds caused by the current government, which has sunk Brazil into an unprecedented social and economic crisis. The letter, which talks about the social and economic advances that Brazil had under Lula, can be read here: http://www.pt.org.br/carta-de-lula-ao-povo-brasileiro-ganha-nova-versao-grafica
3. There was a debate today, on Olga Benario square in the Vigil, about the importance of building alternative communications to the big private conglomerates, to form and enable a plural narrative which reflects the interests of the majority of the population, without reflecting the economic and commercial interests of the traditional media. The debate was faciliated by Pedro Carrano, a journalist from Brasil de Fato newspaper and a member of the Frente Brasil Popular.
4. Today, July 7th, was a festive day for the members and friends of the MST. The movement celebrated the three year anniversary of the Dom Tomás Balduíno agrarian reform settlement in Quedas do Iguaçu, Paraná. Over 10,000 people participated in the event, including Father José Fernandes, Senator Roberto Requião (Paraná), MST national leadership member João Pedro Stedile and Senator and National PT President Gleisi Hoffmann (Paraná). The event served as a moment to reiterate the importance of the struggle for agrarian reform. Gleisi defended freedom for Lula and said that he is the best way for Brazil to return to economic growth with social justice. Read more here: http://www.pt.org.br/mst-comemora-3-anos-de-luta-e-resistencia-em-quedas-do-iguacu/
5. This afternoon on Olga Benário square, there was a public conversation about the perspectives for democracy in Latin America with Marco Piva, a journalist and researcher from USP. He cited the election of Manuel Lopes Obrador to the Mexican Presidency as positive for the the rebuilding and integration of democratic forces in Latin America.
6. Activists from the states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraiba and Ceará took part in the “good afternoon” yell to ex-President Lula today. “We are not going to repress our hope and the force of our will to continue fighting for our Nation,” said activist Socorro de Freitas, from Fortaleza, in denouncing Lula’s arbitrary imprisonment. She defends his name as a candidate for President of the Republic, to lift Brazil out of its current social and economic quagmire. The activities at the Vigil ended tonight with the traditional “good night” yell to President Lula.
Bulletin 139 – People’s Committee in Defense of Lula and Democracy
Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil – 7/7/2018 – 8PM
