In an interview with the newspaper The Globeex-president Michel Temer countered, calling Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment a “coup”. Temer classified Lula’s speech as “nonsense” and “divisive”, arguing that the impeachment process was legitimate and had the support of the Legislative and Judiciary Powers.
“What he said is nonsense, poor guy. It’s not good, I said yesterday that I didn’t want to make a comment because the comment helps divide the country. This speech is a divisive speech. It was unfortunate for him,” Temer told the publication.
The controversy began after Lula visited the photo gallery of former presidents at Palácio do Planalto. At the time, the president criticized the lack of information about each person’s mandates and stated that Dilma’s impeachment and Temer’s subsequent administration were the result of a coup.
“What I want is for history to be told, Dilma (Rousseff) was elected, she was re-elected, then she was impeached, which was a coup, then this one (pointing to Michel Temer) was not elected. This one took office due to Dilma’s impeachment, okay? Then this one (pointing to Jair Bolsonaro) was elected due to lies. That’s what has to count”, declared Lula.
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The mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB), also spoke out against the president’s statements. Nunes, who is part of a wing of the MDB that seeks to distance itself from the PT, defended the legality of the impeachment and stated that “it is a coup to say otherwise”.
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“The defense of democracy necessarily involves respect for the Institutions, the National Congress, the Federal Supreme Court, which were responsible for the impeachment. It’s a scam to say otherwise.”
Lula’s speech also generated discomfort among MDB members who support the government. The party commands three ministries (Transport, Planning and Cities) and is part of the allied base in Congress. Despite this, the relationship between Lula and Temer has always been marked by friction, with the current president having called the former president a “coupist” on several occasions during the 2022 election campaign.
