President defends “severe” punishment if attempted coup is proven; commented on the general’s arrest in a conversation with journalists, after being discharged from hospital
The president (PT) said this Sunday (Dec 15, 2024) at the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in São Paulo that, if it is demonstrated that the military planned a coup d’état in 2022, “they will have to be punished severely”.
Lula also spoke about the former Defense Minister, Walter Braga Netto, a retired general, on Saturday (Dec 14). “What happened this week with the arrest of General Braga, I will show you that I have more patience and am democratic. I think he has every right to the presumption of innocence”, these.
The president stated that his assessment of Braga Netto contrasts with his case. “What I didn’t have, I want them to have. All rights, all respect, so that the law is fulfilled”, he stated.
Lula went to the Federal Court in Curitiba for corruption in Lava-Jato. The sentence was upheld in higher courts. He remained in prison from April 7, 2018 to November 8, 2019. In 2021, the STF (Supreme Federal Court) considered that she could not have been tried in Curitiba.
Lula on Monday (Dec 9) and underwent surgery. He had a brain bleed. of death. The president made the statement this Sunday at the hospital when he interrupted an interview with the doctors who treated him. He was discharged from hospital and is resting at his home in São Paulo. Initially he spoke about the health situation. Then he spoke about the country, the accusations against the military and the government.
Watch (15min):
Here is the full text of what Lula said in the hospital about the country, the accusations against the military and the government:
“When I became president again, I told you that my greatest desire was to bring Brazil back to normality, to democratic normality. Make respect between people work again. Make respect between institutions work again. Everyone fulfills their role, each monkey on its own branch. Everything will be resolved in this country.
“I came back to say that we are going to create a big government. We’ve planted so far, we’ve recovered everything we had to recover. You know how many things were dismantled in this country, because, in truth, Brazil did not have a government from 2019 to 2022, there was a locust plague that decided to destroy the values in this country, respect for democracy, respect for institutions , respect for governability. On December 31, 2026, I want to deliver this happier Brazil, this Brazil without hunger, this Brazil with more jobs, this Brazil with more respect, this Brazil without fake news, this Brazil without lies, and whoever wants to preach hate and the lie, that you look for another planet to live on, because here on Planet Earth and in Brazil there are no rights, okay?
“As I know you will ask, but the answer was not expected, I have a lot of patience. What happened this week with the arrest of General Braga, I will show you that I have more patience and am democratic. I think he has every right to the presumption of innocence. What I didn’t have, I want them to have. All rights, all respect, so that the law is fulfilled. But if these guys did what they tried to do, they will have to be severely punished.
“This country had people who did 10% of what they did and who were killed in prison. So, it is not possible for us to accept disrespect for democracy. We cannot accept disrespect for the Constitution. And it is not possible for us to admit that, in a generous country like Brazil, we have people with high military rank, plotting the death of a president of the Republic, plotting the death of his vice president and plotting the death and plotting the death of a judge who was president of the supreme electoral court. So, I want you to know that I am returning with great peace of mind, with a lot of work to do. I am committed to this country, I am committed.”
