Brazilian President Lula stated on Saturday (24) that he will 'make politics' and travel across the country starting next month to combat what he called 'lies', 'vulgarity', and 'fake news'. The statements were made during a trip to the interior of Mato Grosso, where he launched the Solo Vivo program, which aims to recover degraded soil areas and strengthen family farming, according to the government. 'Next month, I'll make politics in this country. Next month, I'll start walking this country because I think it's time for us to take responsibility for not allowing lies, vulgarity, and fake news to take over and for the truth to be buried in this country,' the president said. He continued: 'We are part of those politicians who at least don't want to lose the right to walk the streets with our heads held high. I was raised by an illiterate mother, and the thing she most demanded from us was not to lie and to respect others.' The statements come after Lula faced intense crises due to opposition party publications on social media. This week, the government rushed to announce a rollback of changes to the IOF (Financial Operations Tax) late on Thursday (22) due to fears of a repeat of the traumatic experience of the Pix crisis in January. At the time, the dissemination of distorted information about taxation of operations made by the system invaded social media and affected the president's popularity. 'I'm convinced that we have a moral obligation to make truth defeat lies in this country,' Lula said on Saturday. The president associated lies with 'wicked people' and 'aggressive' individuals who 'don't respect opponents' and 'don't know how to live democratically', although he did not mention former President Jair Bolsonaro, his main rival. He again defended regulating social media and mentioned the prohibition of cell phones in schools. The president visited the Santo Antônio da Fartura settlement in the municipality of Campo Verde (about 130 km from Cuiabá). The agenda also included the delivery of agricultural machine keys. Lula was accompanied by ministers and local politicians, including Mato Grosso Governor Mauro Mendes, a Bolsonaro supporter, who was booed on multiple occasions during the ceremony. The governor also heard chants of 'Mauro, do L', a reference to the initial letter of Lula's name. Mendes supported Bolsonaro in the 2022 elections and participated in recent months in demonstrations by Bolsonaro supporters calling for amnesty for those involved in the undemocratic acts on January 8, 2023. Another notable figure at the ceremony was BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante, who made a speech praising Mendes and highlighting projects developed in partnership between the federal government and the state administration. However, he also caused discomfort by joking about the incident in which a Bolsonaro supporter hung himself from a truck during a protest after the 2022 election. In his speech, the governor praised his own administration and congratulated the president on the initiative. When mentioning large farmers, he said the audience should not boo them.
https://jornaldebrasilia.com.br/noticias/politica-e-poder/lula-diz-que-vai-intensificar-viagens-pelo-pais-para-reagir-a-fake-news/