“All those who financed, orchestrated and deeply involved in the coup must be exemplarily punished. There will be no forgiveness for those attempting against democracy, against their country and against their own people,” said Lula at the National Congress.

For Lula, forgiveness would sound like impunity. “And impunity, as a safe-conduct for new terror acts,” he warned.

Lula pointed out that courage from lawmakers, governors, ministers of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and legal military ensured this Monday to be possible to celebrate “the victory of democracy over authoritarianism”.

The former trade unionist also thanked the security forces, especially the Congress, “who, even as a minority, refused to join the coup and risked their lives in the line of duty”.

During his speech, Lula also thanked “all Brazilians who rose above their differences to say No to Fascism. Because only in democracy divergences may coexist in peace”, he stressed.

Lula again certified that it is necessary to fight off hunger and inequality in order to perfect democracy in Brazil.

“A child with no access to education will fail to learn the meaning of the word democracy. A father or a mother at a traffic light, holding a sign with the words “Help me for the love of God”, will not know what democracy is either. Perfecting democracy is to recognize that democracy for a few is not democracy”, he added.

On the other hand, Lula pondered the cooperation between the powers after the attacks, the strengthening of democracy and pointed out that Brazil would sink into “economic and social chaos”, in case the coup attempt was to materialize.

“The willingness of the Brazilian people expressed at the elections would have been stolen and democracy would have been destroyed…. Our country would once again be isolated from the world, and the Amazon, in a short time, reduced to ashes,” he stated.

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