"We are worried about the life" of Lula, says former PT minister

Sao Paulo, June 24 (EFE), (Camera: Alba Santandreu).- Former minister Aloizio Mercadante, one of the strong men of the Workers' Party (PT), expressed concern about the safety of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the electoral campaign due to the "desperation" of the extreme right led by President Jair Bolsonaro.

"We are, yes, concerned about the life of the president (Lula)," assured Mercadante, coordinator of the PT government program, in an interview with Efe.

STATEMENTS BY THE FORMER MINISTER ALOIZIO MERCADANTE:

"THIS SHOWS THAT THERE IS NO LIMIT. WE ARE SEEING ALL KINDS OF PROVOCATIONS AND THE ISSUE OF PRESIDENT LULA'S SECURITY IS VERY IMPORTANT."

"THEY HAVE NO ARGUMENTS, THEY KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO LOSE THE ELECTIONS, THEY ARE GETTING DESPERATE AND THEY HAVE AN EXTREME RIGHT MILITIA THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES."

"WE ARE IN A VERY FAVORABLE POSITION, WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF WINNING IN THE FIRST ROUND. ALL THE POLLS FOR MORE THAN A YEAR HAVE GIVED PRESIDENT LULA A VICTORY BY FAR AND TODAY THEY BEGIN TO POINT OUT THAT THE VICTORY IS IN THE FIRST ROUND."

"SPAIN HAD A VERY INNOVATIVE EXPERIENCE. A 9-MONTH BIPARTITE NEGOTIATION WITH AN AGREEMENT LATER ENDORSED BY CONGRESS. AND IT IS AN INSPIRATION FOR WHAT WE ARE BUILDING."

"THIS MURDER OF BRUNO, AN INDIGENIST WE KNEW WELL, WITH A BEAUTIFUL WORK TOGETHER WITH THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND ANOTHER JOURNALIST KILLED IN THIS SCENARIO IS PART OF THIS DEGRADATION OF THE AMAZON, WHERE ILLEGAL MINING, ILLEGAL LOGGERS, THIS PREDATORY FORM OF OCCUPATION OF LA MADE DEFORESTATION GO BACK 8,000 MILES A YEAR."

"WE HAVE PEASANT MILITIA TODAY AND A GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO THIS ILLEGALITY. PRESIDENT LULA WILL PUT THE AMAZON ON THE WAY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS."