Lula claims "coup" in Brazil would endanger LatAm democracy

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Monday that the "coup" being perpetrated against President Dilma Rousseff risked undoing the democratic advances seen across Latin America in recent years.

Speaking at a seminar entitled "Democracy and Social Justice" in Sao Paulo, Lula said his opponents wanted to grab power illegally and force "a neoliberal agenda, which has been defeated at the ballot box."

"We are at risk of seeing a historic process being interrupted, a process which has seen democracy triumph and extraordinary social, political and economic advances take place," he said.

"This historic process has seen the election of democratic governments in the vast majority of Latin American countries," he said.

He said that under his and Rousseff's rule, over 36 million Brazilians have been lifted out of extreme poverty, over 20 million jobs have been created and the real value of the minimum salary has almost doubled.

However, Lula also said that, due to the current economic crisis, "the Brazilian population has suffered from government errors which must be corrected."

"It is a fact that people are not satisfied and want to return to growth. However, it is also true that the opposition, which has been defeated in elections four times in a row, has opted for a coup to return to power," he added.

The former president said the Brazilian society has reacted strongly against the impeachment.

"Democratic conscience has awoken on the streets and on social media in a broad movement of denial and anger. This is a movement born of indignation, which also includes those who did not vote for Dilma and who criticize the government," said Lula.

However, a latest poll shows that 62 percent of the Brazilian population is happy for Rousseff and Vice President Michel Temer to "leave the government and for new elections to be called."

The Brazilian Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics (Ibope) said on Monday that only 8 percent of respondents favored Rousseff's impeachment, with Temer beginning a new government.

Furthermore, 70 percent of young people, aged 16-24, favored the exit of both leaders.

Only 25 percent of those interviewed believe Rousseff should stay in office, either because they approve of her performance, or because they want to see a new pact with the opposition, or the maintenance of political and economic stability.

Rousseff is now facing impeachment over allegations her administration violated fiscal laws. Rousseff has insisted the procedure amounts to an attempted coup against her. Endi