Lula calls the "Shielding Amendment" a "national disgrace" and celebrates defeat.
In a press conference, the president said the proposal was "unnecessary and provocative" and argued that the only way to protect parliamentarians is to act correctly.
247 - In a press conference held this Wednesday (24) at the UN headquarters in New York, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva celebrated the defeat of the Shielding PEC in the Senate and made harsh criticisms of the proposal previously approved by the Chamber of Deputies.
“[The Shielding Amendment] is unnecessary, provocative, and sent a terrible signal to Brazilian society. The only way to be protected is not to do the wrong thing. It met the fate it deserved: to disappear, because it was a national disgrace,” Lula stated, when questioned about the constitutional amendment that sought to hinder investigations against parliamentarians.
The "Shielding Amendment" was the target of strong popular mobilization and was defeated earlier today in the Senate's Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ). The text approved in the Chamber of Deputies stipulated that deputies and senators could only be investigated with prior approval from Congress.
Relationship with Trump
In the same press conference, Lula also commented on his brief meeting with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, during the UN General Assembly. The Brazilian said he was pleased with the rapprochement and advocated for constructive dialogue between the two countries.
“I was pleased to meet Trump. What seemed impossible became possible. I was happy when he said there was chemistry between us. We are the two largest democracies on the continent and we have many shared interests,” he said.
Lula reiterated that he sees no reason for conflict with the US and that he respects Trump "regardless of ideology," highlighting the need for cooperation on issues such as world peace and trade.
"If a head of state was elected by his people, I don't care about ideology. What matters is that, having been elected, he deserves my respect," he concluded.
The official meeting between the two presidents has not yet been scheduled, but both have indicated a willingness to resume dialogue soon.
