Published: Less than 20 min ago
Write down the debts of poor households. That goal is now being pursued by Lula da Silva in Brazil, days after Joe Biden’s similar proposal in the United States.
– We have almost 70 percent of Brazilian families that are in debt, the vast majority of them are led by women, says presidential candidate Lula da Silva in an interview on the major television program Jornal Nacional.
– You can assume that we will hold negotiations on this with the private sector and the financial system.
Lula’s actions can be compared to President Biden’s proposal in the United States the other day, to write off the student debts of many households.
Even when Lula was previously president of Brazil, 2003-2010, he became popular through large social programs aimed at the many poor. Incumbent right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro also believes this can attract voters, and ahead of the October election has raised the levels of benefits in the welfare system. However, it is a temporary measure that expires at the turn of the year – at the same time as the next term of office for the presidency begins.
Bolsonaro is far behind the social democrat Lula in opinion polls ahead of the election, the first round of which will be held on October 2.