Jagdeo hails Lula as “South American hero”

President Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday night, hailed outgoing Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as a true friend of Guyana and a South American hero, as he conferred on him Guyana’s highest national award – the Order of Excellence. 

In his address to the packed auditorium of the National Cultural Centre, President Jagdeo described President Lula as a global statesman and a champion of the developing world. “But above all, he is a leader of deep values, who is driven by a sincere conviction that the actions of each of us can create a better world.” Jagdeo declared.

The Guyanese president described President Lula’s life story as inspirational, noting that Lula had left school at the age of 12 to shine shoes so that he could earn money to provide for his parents and siblings. Lula obtained a job in a factory two years later; and by the time he had reached his twenties, he was an activist campaigning for poor people to be better treated in hospitals. “The activist became a trade unionist who recognised that the combined, collective action that is possible through the labour movement could be a force for justice. And then the trade unionist became the progressive political leader who formed a party to campaign for democracy when Brazil still suffered from the tyranny of dictatorship. He became a congressman, and then, in 2002, he used the democratic system – which he had done so much to establish – to become the president of his country.”

Declaring Lula’s life a remarkable story, Jagdeo said it demonstrated that, even though Lula’s personal circumstances had changed immeasurably, President Lula stayed true to a deep, enduring conviction that it is possible to change circumstances and help others in the face of tremendous odds. “This conviction is what drove the 12-year-old boy to go out and earn an income to take care of “his family”. It is also what drove the president whose leadership and compassion for others led to Brazil becoming the world’s eighth largest economy – a Brazil where more than 20 million people have been lifted out of extreme poverty, and a Brazil that is getting closer to meeting the goal of eradicating hunger.”       

President Jagdeo said President Lula’s flagship programmes – Fome Zero and Bolsa Familia – are creating new opportunities for tens of millions of Brazilian citizens. And Lula’s leadership means that Brazilian flair and vibrancy will enrich the world in the 2014 World Cup tournament and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“But President Lula has also dedicated himself to making an immense positive contribution that reached far beyond the borders of Brazil. Alongside his deep-seated love for, and dedication to, his own country, his leadership and compassion saw him deploy his personal influence and national position to advance the lives of millions of people across the world,” President Jagdeo said.

Lula was instrumental in the formation of G20 and UNASUR

President Jagdeo said that, partly because of Lula’s actions, the G20 now exists and ensures greater influence for the peoples of the developing world in shaping the decisions that impact on them. President Jagdeo said President Lula also helped create UNASUR, which is “enabling the nations of our continent, now all democratic, to work together to improve the lives of our citizens.”  He said Lula had been reaching out to countries in Africa, the Arab world and elsewhere, helping to build new bridges with those regions, and bring our peoples closer together.

Additionally, Jagdeo said the World Social Forum, which President Lula established in 2003, enables progressive global policies to be advanced.  And at every international forum, whether it relates to combating trade injustice, addressing international crime, or fighting global poverty, Brazil leads in a way that advances the needs of the less powerful across the world. It is this leadership that influenced Guyana’s early decision to support Brazil’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. 

“And it is this leadership that is also addressing the most (pressing) global challenge our planet has ever faced – the fight against climate change. Brazil’s transportation system is the world’s largest to be powered by clean energy. Brazil is finding new ways to create global food security through innovative approaches to agriculture. And Brazil has led the world in the fight against deforestation. Its success in reversing historical deforestation trends in the Amazon will benefit every citizen on this planet, and stands as one of President Lula’s greatest legacies,” Jagdeo, himself a passionate advocate for clean energy, said. 

Turning to Guyana, Jagdeo said this country has benefited from President Lula’s solidarity over many years. He noted that the physical, economic, social, and personal links between the two countries are stronger than ever, and are laying the foundations for the full realisation of Guyana’s South American destiny.

“For years, in Guyana, we worked within our society to reach a point where our democratic institutions are firmly in place; our public finances are under control; our health, education and other social services are being continuously improved for the benefit of our people; and our public infrastructure and national policies have been reformed to enable the private sector to take advantage of the many opportunities presented by the modern world.  But we are also excited by the new potential we can reach as the bridge between South America and the Caribbean. President Lula and I opened the Takutu Bridge last year – this is a potent symbol of the strengthening bonds between our peoples, and in particular the new economic opportunities that can be realised by citizens and businesses in both Guyana and northern Brazil. These new opportunities are in no small part thanks to President Lula,” the Guyanese head of state said.

Climate change fight  

He also said that Guyana is working closely with Brazil in international fora, including those that address climate change. In particular, Guyana and Brazil are working together to advance a global solution to address deforestation. “The peoples of our two countries, along with those of just six other nations, are the stewards of over 40 per cent of the world’s tropical forest. As we deepen our ties yet further in the years ahead, we will miss President Lula’s wise counsel; but we are also delighted to see in President-elect (Dilma) Rousseff someone who shares President Lula’s commitment to creating a better continent and world for us all.”