President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) dismissed, this Friday (11), speculation about the dismissal of Defense Minister, José Múcio. He stated that he had “a lot of trust”, “friendship” and “deep respect” for the minister, whom he called a “true friend”.
Múcio’s continuation in the position was speculated after he said that “ideological issues” prevented a tender in the Defense area between the Brazilian government and an Israeli company. At an event with businesspeople on Wednesday (9), the minister stated that the “diplomatic issue interferes with Defense”.
“Múcio is someone I have deep friendship and deep respect for. I like him a lot. He called me, you know, terrified: ‘I think I said something I shouldn’t have said’. And I said: ‘José Múcio, don’t worry. What we said has already been said, it has already been explored. Forget it and move on (…) You won’t lose an inch of importance with me because of that’”, said Lula.
In an interview with Rádio O Povo CBN in Fortaleza (CE), the head of the Executive stated that he had a relationship of “loyalty” with the minister. “He’s a guy who has always cared about me, so he’s a guy I have deep respect for. He is a true friend, from the heart. Therefore, this did not affect his stay at the Ministry of Defense at all”, he stated.
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In the interview, Lula also defended the acquisition of a new presidential plane after technical problems upon returning from his trip to Mexico last week.
“I asked the Minister of Defense to make a proposal and we are going to buy a plane for the President of the Republic. Ignorance cannot prevail. A plane for the president is for the institution, whoever the president is,” said the president.
Purchase of fighters
The president also commented on the request for information from the United States Department of Justice regarding the 2014 contract from the Brazilian government for the purchase of 36 Gripen E/F fighters.
“Honestly, I think that a request for information from the United States is interference by the United States in something from another country. This information is unacceptable. I don’t know what information he is asking for, I also don’t want to make a hasty judgment, but it makes no sense to ask for information about a plane that Brazil bought”, he declared.
