Silvio de Almeida: Voting for Lula is for the hungry and those who died from Covid.
“We will vote in memory of those who were exiled, tortured, and killed by the dictatorship,” the researcher stated. “And for those who lost their lives to COVID-19 due to negligence.”
Current Brazil Network - The vote for Lula on October 2nd had its meaning amplified by the lawyer and writer Silvio de Almeida, during his participation in the “"super live" held this Monday (26), in the capital of São Paulo. Applauded standing by the packed auditorium from which the last major act of the final stretch of the campaign was broadcast, he highlighted in his speech that it was up to the current generation to confront the fascism that threatens the present, tries to erase the past and compromise the future.
And this first round of voting is more than just another chapter in this fight for Brazil, "in which we will not vote only for ourselves," but also for the memory of Zumbi dos Palmares, Luis Gama, Dandara, Abdias do Nascimento, Marielle Franco, Anderson Nascimento, Darcy Ribeiro, and other important figures in the country's history.
“We will vote for the memory of those who were exiled, tortured, and killed by the dictatorship. For those who perished from hunger, from violence in the countryside and in the city, for those who lost their freedom to the justice system. And for those who lost their lives to Covid-19 due to negligence. Our vote will also be so that our dead continue to live in our hearts,” he said.
And addressing former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva directly, who was watching the live broadcast from the audience, he was emphatic: “We want more than just to chase away the fascists. We want to create a Brazil that has never existed before, a Brazil of greatness and generosity. Brazil is ours.”
Access to higher education was "off the horizon" before Lula.
A vote like this, for ancestors and future generations, converging towards the reconstruction of a country with peace, love, tolerance, inclusion and respect for diversity, valuing culture, art, science, education and the environment, echoed in the speeches of other participants. In a video recorded for the super live event, the rapper Emicide He said he could list the names of acquaintances who entered college, pursued postgraduate studies, and specialized after the Lula and Dilma PT governments democratized access to higher education.
“University wasn’t on our horizon. And many aren’t better off now only because of the crisis brought about by the current government, with unemployment. But there’s a very valuable feeling for Brazilians, a faith that moves us, and Lula manages to symbolize all of that,” he said.
Kananda Eller, a graduate in Chemistry from the Federal University of Bahia and a master's student in Science Education at USP, is a product of the public policies of the Workers' Party governments. "I am a product of public policies; I believe in them for our society. There is no society without health, science, and education. So I dream of seeing many more Black universities," she said. Kananda also said that she dreams of a more Black university, with other worldviews, with more Indigenous people, and with scientific institutes in the peripheries.
The presence of Black and Indigenous people in all spaces was also defended by Luana Génot, the first Black woman in her family to enter higher education and a "daughter" of the Science Without Borders Program. "Today is a day of hope in this country. Everyone knows that we fight for more equality. We believe that with racism there is no democracy. But we are here," she said, highlighting the significance of being "the dream of our ancestors."
Legacy of opportunities
“We are the legacy of these opportunities, and that is why we want more opportunities, but with goals, deadlines, and names. We want Silvio Almeida as Minister of Justice, we want Djamila Ribeiro, we want Sonia Guajajara. We want Black and Indigenous people. But mainly Black and Indigenous people with the 'power of the pen' in their hands,” he said, addressing Lula and Alckmin.
Writer Itamar Vieira Júnior overcame his shyness and spoke to a packed auditorium about his childhood struggles with reading in public libraries, because he couldn't afford to buy books. He also spoke of his cherished dream of becoming a writer despite all the difficulties, a dream that became possible with the encouragement of his family. A dream realized, Itamar had books read to him by the former president during his more than 500 days in the Federal Police prison in Curitiba.
“The injustice suffered by Lula was against all of us. But books were his great companions,” said Itamar. “But on earth there will always be the strongest. And the strongest is the people, is Brazil. And that is why we will vote for Lula. Long live Lula, long live democracy.”
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