BRAZIL: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva rallies in City of God slum as he starts re-election bid

Record ID: 346262

  • Title: BRAZIL: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva rallies in City of God slum as he starts re-election bid
  • Date: 3rd September 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) MARIA DA GRAÇA SAYING: "I hope he does something. Only vows, vows, we're full of that."
  • Embargoed: 18th September 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADNRP8HYNMF8CM014FB79YGDY6
  • Story Text: Famous in and outside Brazil, as a symbol of violence and drug dealing, the Cidade de Deus slum (City of God) put away its weapons to receive President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for a campaign rally as he kicks off his re-election bid.
    The campaign rally took place in a samba court that was completely reformed and decorated in order to receive the president and the country's most important ministers.
    It is the first time in the 40-year history of the slum that a public figure visits the setting of the film "Cidade de Deus" (City of God), nominated for an Oscar in 2004.
    The rally was attended by a large number of young people like Vinicius Teixeira, who participates in a social assistance program for the youth of Cidade de Deus.
    "Education and health are very important, we expect more and more of Lula, and that he does even more for the people," he said.
    Mother of four children, housewife Maria da Graça, also from Cidade de Deus, said she expects more of the president if he is reelected, because the people are tired of empty vows.
    "I hope he does something. Only vows, vows, we're full of that," complained Maria da Graça.
    Among other ministers who climbed onstage with Lula, were Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, Chief of Staff Dilma Roussef, and Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil.
    The president and candidate focused on education during his speech, and promised to do more for the young people, saying it is less expensive to provide education than to build prison cells afterwards.
    "To invest in the education of the young, is like saying in loud and good tone that it is less expensive to build a classroom, than to build a prison cell," said Lula.
    Lula also brought up the subject of racial discrimination, saying this is a cultural problem rather than a legislative issue, which exists inside people's minds that must be changed.
    "We want to discuss, a lot, very seriously, the issue of racial equality, because racial equality is no longer a problem of legislation (laws), it is a cultural problem, which is impregnated in our heads and we will have to change our minds," he argued.
    The people of Cidade de Deus see the president's visit as an opportunity to change its stigma of violence and drug traffic.
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