Lula appears with a cane and complains about his voice.
In a seminar on investments in Africa, the former president criticizes austerity measures by European governments and praises Africans.
247- Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized on Thursday the austerity policies adopted by European governments to address the crisis, while praising, on the other hand, the African initiative to foster the continent's growth. The comments were made during the seminar "Investing in Africa: Opportunities, Challenges and Instruments for Economic Cooperation" organized by BNDES in Rio de Janeiro.
Besides Lula's comments, what drew attention was the fact that the former president was using a cane to get around, due to his recent treatment for laryngeal cancer. Lula also drew attention to the condition of his throat. "It's been seven months since I last spoke," he said, adding: "I'll read as quickly as possible so my throat will allow me to finish."
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Lula Institute - Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized on Thursday (3) the austerity policies being used to address the crisis in Europe and praised the African initiative to foster growth on the continent. The statement was made in Rio de Janeiro, during the seminar “Investing in Africa: Opportunities, Challenges and Instruments for Economic Cooperation” organized by BNDES. The former president highlighted, in this context of the European crisis, the importance of initiatives such as the Program for the Development of Infrastructure in Africa, PIDA. According to Lula, PIDA points to a 21st-century Africa, along the lines of the PAC, which began in his government and is now even better managed by President Dilma.
Former President Lula participated today in the opening panel of the seminar, which also included Luciano Coutinho, president of BNDES; Thomas Sukutai Bvuma, ambassador of Zimbabwe and dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in Brazil; Edison Lobão, Minister of Mines and Energy; Sérgio Cabral, Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro; Eduardo Paes, Mayor of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro; and Fernando Pimentel, Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
We don't want hegemony, we want partnership.
In his speech, Lula spoke about the current crisis facing wealthy countries, criticized austerity policies, and emphasized the importance of the African development program. The former president defended the importance of the partnership between Brazil and Africa, stressing that it should not be about imposing models but about jointly building strategies to develop the African continent. "We don't want hegemony, we want partnership," he said.
The seminar “Investing in Africa: Opportunities, Challenges and Instruments for Economic Cooperation” is part of the celebrations of the BNDES's 60th anniversary and brought together ministers, businesspeople, diplomats and leaders from the African Development Bank and the World Bank.