Lula Apologizes for Comment on Covid-19: ‘Utterly Unfortunate Sentence’

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil’s former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva apologized for a comment he made on Tuesday, May 19th, that was widely criticized. He stated that the Covid-19 pandemic had enabled an understanding of the government’s role in solving crises.

In the sentence, used in an interview granted to Carta Capital magazine, Lula added that “it is fortunate that nature, against the will of humanity, created this monster called coronavirus.”

Yesterday, on a live broadcast on Facebook, he stated that his choice of words ultimately created a problem.

“If, in fact, I had said ‘unfortunately’ instead of ‘fortunately’… I tried to use a word to explain that in terms of the undervalued SUS, it is at the height of the crisis that we start to realize the institution’s significance. I know it was an absolutely unfortunate sentence that didn’t belong,” said the ex-president.

“I am a human being moved by the heart; I know the suffering that the pandemic is causing, not being able to bury relatives, I have not left my home since the 12th until now. My granddaughter was born, and I haven’t been to see her. I firmly believe that until there is a medicine, the best solution for not contracting the disease is to remain at home,” he added, advocating social isolation unlike President Jair Bolsonaro.

In his original statement, Lula said a pandemic like the coronavirus needs to be addressed by a strong government. In Brazil, the federal government has delegated decisions such as social isolation to governors and mayors and has seen two health Ministers leave office.

“If some people were offended, I apologize, because the phrase was not what I wanted to say. I wanted to say that the government – and only the government – is in a position to solve issues that the market will not solve. Sixty-three percent of all SUS beds were built in my and Dilma’s [Rousseff] governments. I apologize for the term ‘good,’ but I also can’t accept that from then on, it is being said that I was celebrating the pandemic,” he defended.

“I want to seize the opportunity and show solidarity with all those whose relatives have died. I hope that after all this misfortune, we can rise again a little more humane”, he concluded.

Source: UOL