In Guyana, Lula highlights the good moment of the Brazilian economy

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva underscored the robust condition of the Brazilian economy in a press statement on Thursday morning, February 29, 2024, subsequent to a bilateral meeting with Guyana's President, Irfaan Ali, in Georgetown. The President emphasized that it is time to begin harvesting the fruits of the groundwork laid in 2023, during the initial year of his term.

The Brazilian economy is experiencing a rebound, marked by a revival in employment opportunities. Additionally, significant investments are being directed towards science, technology, and education, spanning from early childhood programs to university initiatives. These strategic investments underscore the dividends of our promising policy framework"

Brazil's Presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

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 High-resolution photos (Flickr)

» Full statement of President Lula

On Thursday, February 29, 2024, the IBGE (Brazilian Institute for Geography & Statistics) released data from the PNAD Contínua, indicating that Brasil achieved its lowest unemployment rate since 2015 in the quarter ending January 2024, with a rate of 7.6%. Consequently, the country's employed population reached 100.6 million workers, reflecting an increase of nearly 2 million over the past 12 months.

"The Brazilian economy is experiencing a rebound, marked by a revival in employment opportunities. Additionally, significant investments are being directed towards science, technology, and education, spanning from early childhood programs to universities. We're beginning to reap the rewards of a highly promising policy," stated the President, who also emphasized the expansion of new markets for Brazilian products: "In January, we opened 14 markets, followed by six more in February, totaling nearly 77 new markets in just one year of our administration. Our per capita income is increasing, with 80% of workers negotiating agreements that surpass inflation percentages," he highlighted

The strong performance of the national economy has garnered attention in recent days, even from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva expressed praise for the country in an article titled "How the G-20 Can Build on the World Economy’s Recent Resilience”, published on the IMF blog on Monday, February 26, 2024. Georgieva emphasized Brasil's success in combating inflation and hailed tax reform as a significant milestone, among other topics.

SOUTH AMERICAN INTEGRATION - According to Lula, the current context stems from a concerted effort to revive numerous social policies that had been previously "eliminated," coupled with the reinstatement of minimum wage appreciation and a robust emphasis on infrastructure initiatives centered around the New PAC. In discussions with the Guyanese president, significant attention was drawn to regional integration plans, notably the South American Integration Routes, which includes a specific project aimed at connecting Brasil to Guyana through the development of roads, bridges, and waterways.

"Among these infrastructure projects, our commitment lies in fostering the integration of our continent. Minister Simone Tebet (Planning), who was here yesterday, introduced a project that aims to strengthen Brasil's ties not only with Guyana but also with other South American countries, with the ultimate goal of extending our reach to the Pacific and reducing the distance of our trade with China, Japan, and other countries by 10 thousand kilometers," explained Lula.

Following the statement, the delegation departed for Kingstown, the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean. The Summit of Heads of State of the CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) is scheduled to take place in the country on Friday and Saturday, March 1st and 2nd, 2024.