Brasília, December 20 (EFE). – Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva guaranteed this Wednesday that he will address the country's economy “very seriously” in the second year of his term, after a 2023 that he described as “extraordinary.” after growth that exceeded expectations.
“Few people in the world believed that we could reach the end of 2023 in the way we are coming, with a very good performance” and “an exceptional situation,” the president said at the opening of a meeting with its 37-member cabinet in the presidential palace in Brasilia.
The financial market expects that Brazil will close 2023 with growth of close to 3%, in line with the forecasts of the Executive and the Central Bank, and that it will definitely exceed the estimates made at the beginning of the year, which were just under 0.6%.
In addition, inflation has moderated and is currently at 4.68% year-on-year, within the target ceiling for this year (4.75%), while unemployment is slightly below 8%.
However, in 2024, the lower Brazilian economy is expected to grow, which according to the market will be around 1.5%.
All in all, Lula reiterated that the economy is not an issue for “magic tricks” and stressed that he will continue to “talk to everyone” to advance the bills and reforms submitted to Congress, which has a conservative majority.
“Poor ruler who thinks he can exchange the dialogue table for a machine gun, a rifle or a cannon. There, ignorance defeats intelligence. “Democracy presupposes tolerance and democratic coexistence in diversity,” he indicated, in an apparent reference to former President Jair Bolsonaro, staunch supporter of gun liberation.
Lula also praised his ministers' negotiating work with parliament, particularly that of Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, seen as his possible future successor after a sweeping tax reform was recently passed in the legislature after more than three decades of discussion.
“We achieved this by putting into practice the art of negotiation, negotiations that are sometimes misinterpreted,” said the head of state, referring to opposition criticism of ceding some of his cabinet portfolios to center-right parties to have those who control Congress.