RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro called on Tuesday for people to wear green and yellow when attending ceremonies to celebrate Brazil’s independence on September 7th, while at the same time emphatically defending Brazil’s sovereignty over the Amazon.
“We appeal to whoever is listening to us to come in green and yellow,” said Bolsonaro during the launching ceremony of the ‘Semana do Brasil’ (“Brazil Week”) campaign, at the Palácio do Planalto.
“I remember a few years ago a president said that and it went wrong for him, but that’s not our case,” he added, recalling former President Fernando Collor de Mello.
“This is not to defend myself or anyone else, but to show the world that Brazil is here, that the Amazon is ours”.
In 1992, amidst fierce allegations of corruption against him, then-President Collor appealed to the population to wear at least one item of clothing with the colors of the flag on a Sunday to show support for him.
The result was quite different from what Collor had intended, with many people taking to the streets wearing black, in protest against the president.
Bolsonaro used his speech at the ceremony to emphasize patriotism and affirm that the country will rebound from economic difficulties and enter the so-called First World.
The Brazil Week campaign — between September 6th and 15th — intends, according to the government, “to encourage the people’s sense of patriotism and create, in September, a special moment for consumers, stimulating the country’s economy”.
The Communication Secretariat reports that, so far, 4,680 companies and organizations have been mobilized to take part in the campaign through discounts, promotions, and benefits to consumers.