May 21, 2018

I am a candidate to Brazilian presidency on the October elections, because I did not commit any crime and because I know I can take the country back to a road of democracy and development, benefiting our people. After all I made as president of the Republic, I am sure being able to rescue government credibility, without whom there can be no economic growth, nor defense of national interests. I am a candidate to return to the poor and excluded dignity, guarantee their rights and the hope of a better life.

Nothing was easy in my life, but I learned not to give up. When I started my political life, more than 40 years ago, we did not have elections in our country, nor we had the right to a union and political organization. We fought the dictatorship and founded the Worker’s Party, believing at the deepening of the democratic path. I lost 3 presidential elections before managing to win in 2002. And proved, along with the people, that someone from the people was able to be a great President. I finished my term with 87% popular approval. The same amount of rejection the current Brazilian president has today, this one who was not elected by the people.

During the eight years I governed Brazil, until 2010, we had the biggest social inclusion on our history, which continued during my comrade Dilma Rousseff government. We took 36 million people way from extreme poverty and drove more than 40 million into the Middle Classes. It was the period of greatest international prestige for our country. In 2009, Le Monde has indicated as “man of the year”. I received this and other honors, not as personal achievements, but as a recognition of the Brazilian society, which joined forces to promote economic growth from social inclusion.

Seven years after leaving presidency, and after a systematic defamation campaign against my party, and me – which gathered the most powerful Brazilian media channels, as well as a sector from the judiciary, country’s moment is other: we live serious democratic setbacks, a prolonged economic crisis; and the poorest people are the ones suffering the most, with the wags cut and the reduction of job offers, the raising on cost of living and destruction of social programs.

Each day more and more Brazilians reject the agenda against social rights implemented by the Parliamentary Coup who paved way for a neoliberal program that lost four elections in a roll and is incapable of winning at the polls democratically. I lead, with a wide margin, all the vote intention polls, because the Brazilians know the country can be better.

I lead the polls even after being arrested in consequence of the judicial persecution who searched my house and my children’s, my personal accounts and Institute Lula’s, never managing to found any prove or crime against me. A judge notoriously partial has convicted me to 12 years in prison by “indeterminate acts”. He falsely claims that I would own an apartment in which I have never slept, of which I have never had ownership, possession, even the keys. In order to arrest me, trying to impede me running the elections or campaigning to my party, they had to ignore the express text of Brazilian Constitution, into a provisory decision won by a single vote of difference between the eleven judges of Supreme Court.

But my problems are small in comparison to what Brazilian population is suffering. To drive PT away from power after 2014 elections, they did not hesitate to sabotage the economy with irresponsible decisions at National Congress and a demoralization campaign made by Government at media. On December 2014, unemployment taxes were at 4,7%. Today they are on 13,1%.

Poverty has been increased, hunger started to haunt our households and the doors from our universities were once again closed to the children of working class. Investments in research and development plummeted. Brazil needs reconquering its sovereignty and national interests. Into our government, our Country led efforts on the environmental agenda and to fight hunger; was invited to G8 meetings; help articulate the G-20; took part on the creation of the BRICS group, gathering Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa; and the Unasur, Union of Southern American Countries. Now, Brazil became a pariah on foreign policy, a country international leaders avoid to visit, and South America is fragmented, with more severe regional crisis and lesser diplomatic instruments of dialogue between countries.

Even the part of our population who supported president Dilma Rousseff deposition, after a massive campaign organized by Globo Corporation, who monopolize communication in Brazil, already realized that coup was not against PT. It was against social ascension of poorest and against labor rights. It was against Brazil.

I have 40 years on public life. I began at the union movement. I founded a political party with comrades from all over the country and we fought, along with other political forces at the 1980’s, to achieve a democratic constitution. Candidate to the presidency, I promised, fought and accomplished my promise that the Brazilians would have right to three meals a day, so they do not have to face famine as I did on my childhood.

I governed one of World’s greatest economies and never ceded to the pressure to support the Iraq War and other military actions. I made clear my war was against famine and misery. I did not submit my country to foreign interests over our natural richness.

After leaving government, I went back to the same apartment I left, less than 1 kilometer away from the Steelworkers Union from São Bernardo, where I started political life. I am an honored man, and will not, never in my life, make concessions on my struggle over my innocence and for maintenance of my political rights. As president, I promoted by every possible means the fight against corruption and I will not accept the imputation of this kind of crime to me by a judiciary farce.

October elections are going to choose a new president, a new National Congress, and state’s governors, they are the opportunity for Brazil to debate its problems and define its future on a democratic way, by voting; as a civilized nation. But they are only going to be democratic if every political force could participate in a fair and free manner.

I have already been president and was not in my plans to be a candidate again. But in the face of the disaster that plagues the Brazilian people, my candidacy is the proposal to a reencounter between Brazil and the path to social inclusion, democratic dialogue, national sovereignty and economic growth, to construct a fairer and more supportive country, which could return being reference at global dialogue for peace and cooperation between nations.