Brazil fears uprise

LOCKDOWN: FIERCE OPPOSITION CAN LEAD TO ‘GENOCIDE’

Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he fears a “genocide” in Brazil because of fierce opposition to coronavirus containment measures by current President Jair Bolsonaro, whom he said should be impeached.

In an interview by video conference from his home near Sao Paulo, Lula – a hero of the Brazilian left who served as president from 2003 to 2010 – attacked the far-right current leader.

Lula is a former union leader who fought Brazil’s military dictatorship (1964-1985), then became one of the country’s most popular presidents with an antipoverty crusade.

The 74-year-old was jailed after his term on corruption charges that he says were trumped up to keep him from running for president again.

He accused Bolsonaro of steering Brazil toward “chaos” with his calls to reopen the economy, despite the country emerging as one of those hardest-hit by the new coronavirus worldwide, with nearly 14 000 deaths so far.

“The administration is turning anyone who’s worried about coronavirus into an enemy. I’m Catholic, so I’ve been praying for the Brazilian people to escape this genocide Bolsonaro is causing.”

But Bolsonaro should not be impeached, he said. “We shouldn’t try to impeach a president who had just been elected. The person has to have committed high crimes. In my opinion, Bolsonaro has done that. He has attacked democracy, democratic institutions and the Brazilian people. He doesn’t even respect those who are dying [of Covid-19]. But I think the movement for impeachment should come from somewhere other than a political party, to avoid any ideological connotation.”

Of putting military officers in a string of top posts in his government, Lulu said: “The army has a lot to contribute to peace and order in our country, but they can’t take sides. Their party is Brazil. These days, there are less civilians than military officers in the presidential palace. They have even more influence in the government than they did during the military regime.” – AFP

Picture: EPA-EFE A worker wears a protective visor and surgical mask at the Westlite Papan foreign worker dormitory in Singapore yesterday. A majority of coronavirus cases are work permit holders living in foreign worker dormitories. Testing and isolation is carried out by medics at each dormitory, with up to 3 000 workers tested daily.