Former Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, sent a thank you letter to the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, after Brazil received the first shipment of 136,000 liters of oxygen for the people of Manaus, to assist patients with COVID-19 in the face of the healthcare collapse in this region of Amazonas state.
“Dear President Nicolás Maduro, I want to thank you for the gesture of solidarity and political greatness that you showed by your solidarity with the people of Manaus, in the crisis due to the lack of hospital oxygen, a result of the lack of responsibility of our country’s government. It is possible to do politics without hatred,” said part of the letter.
Lula emphasized that with this gesture of solidarity from Venezuela, “the lesson remains for countries to learn to live democratically in times of adversity,” reported AVN.
Quero agradecer a grandeza política que @NicolasMaduro teve ao ser solidário ao povo de Manaus, na crise por falta de oxigênio hospitalar, resultado da ausência de responsabilidade do governo Bolsonaro. É possível fazer política sem ódio. https://t.co/sp2ZvEjHh3
— Lula (@LulaOficial) January 22, 2021
Likewise, the letter stated that “as soon as we’re successful in bringing democracy back to Brazil, we will re-establish civilized political relations with the government and the brotherly people of Venezuela.”
Here is the full text of Lula’s letter:
“Dear President Nicolás Maduro. I want to thank you for the gesture of solidarity and the political greatness that you showed by your solidarity with the people of Manaus, in the crisis due to the lack of hospital oxygen, a result of the lack of responsibility by our country’s government.
Your gesture shows that it is possible to do politics without hatred.
Rest assured, Mr. President, that this action will not be overlooked by the Brazilian people. And as soon as we’re successful in bringing democracy back to Brazil, we will re-establish civilized political relations with the government and the brother people of Venezuela. Your country was always a great partner of Brazil during my government, in the government of President Dilma and also during other administrations.
With this gesture of solidarity, the lesson remains for countries to learn to live democratically in times of adversity.
The people of Venezuela, and only they, can judge the Venezuelan government. And all those who have recognized an impostor as president should have the same greatness that you had in relation to Brazil and recognize your excellence as the only and legitimate President of Venezuela.
A hug from your friend, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva “.
Meanwhile Bolsonaro’s popularity rating goes underground
Telesur’s Brian Mier reported a drop of more that 11 percentage points in Bolsonaro’s positive popular evaluation. This is Bolsonaro’s biggest drop in support since he took office in January 2019.
The approval rating of Brazilian right wing extremist President Jair Bolsonaro, just dropped 11 points in 1 week. I explain a few probable causes for this on From the South. @telesurenglish pic.twitter.com/StuawMXSFb
— BrianMier (@BrianMteleSUR) January 22, 2021
The analyst explained the drop as a result of Bolsonaro’s terrible handling of the oxygen crisis in Manaus, capital city of Amazonas, precipitated by a surge of COVID-19 cases requiring intensive care. According to experts Bolsonaro knew about the imminent collapse of Manaus 10 days in advance and did nothing to avoid it.
Another factor raised by Mier was the terrible handling of mass vaccination in Brazil, where no vaccines reached the country though it had worked with Aztra-Zenaca for several months.
Featured image: First shipment of Venezuelan humanitarian aid in the form of oxygen arrives in Manaus on January 19. Photo courtesy of MPPRE.
(Ultimas Noticias) with OT content
Translation: OT/JRE/SL
