Lula calls for national unity to rebuild Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday called for national unity to rebuild Brazil.

He made the appeal on the eve of his 100th day in office while reviewing the main measures his administration has taken since he took office on Jan. 1.

"We live in one country and we need everyone to come together to rebuild it," Lula wrote in a column headlined "Brazil Is Back" in local daily "Correio Braziliense."

"We inherited so many problems and on so many fronts that the term 'reconstruction' was incorporated into the federal government's slogan, preceded by another key word: 'unity.' We don't have two Brazils, the Brazil of those who voted for me and the Brazil of those who voted for another candidate. We are one nation," he said.

"In these first 100 days in government, we have worked tirelessly to restore dignity and quality of life to the Brazilian people, especially the 33 million victims of hunger," he said, citing the revival of key social welfare programs, such as a cash transfer scheme and an affordable housing initiative, as the main achievements of his government in the 100 days.

The three-time president also highlighted the return of mass vaccination and of "More Doctors," a program aiming to facilitate the accessibility of healthcare by hiring up to 15,000 medical professionals to work in rural or remote communities.

Lula said that to make the wheel of the economy turn again, his government has formulated a realistic and responsible fiscal framework that maintains the balance of public accounts and guarantees that the poor are included in the budget.

The government has resumed investing in infrastructure by earmarking 23 billion reals (4.5 billion U.S. dollars) for projects in 2023, he said.