Sao Paulo, February 20. ” households safely affected.
“I can guarantee that my ministers will be willing to talk so that we make an alliance to really repair the damage caused by the rain here in Sao Paulo,” the president said in a statement to Sao Sebastiao, the hardest hit municipality.
Lula interrupted his rest days in the state of Bahia to fly over and see in situ the areas affected by the intense storm that hit the tourist coast of the state of Sao Paulo this weekend, in the middle of the Carnival celebration .
The rains have left a trail of destruction in the region that has forced more than 2,000 people from their homes, in addition to the 36 dead and 40 missing reported so far, according to the latest official toll.
The rescue brigades are working on Monday to search for survivors, in an operation involving more than 600 police, firefighters and soldiers, according to official sources.
In his statement to the media, the progressive leader made federal resources available to local authorities to “help recover” the city of Sao Sebastiao, where 35 of the 36 deaths have been recorded, according to official data.
“You are going to have a nest again to take care of your families,” he assured the families concerned present at the event.
The head of state also wanted to send a message of unity alongside the governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, an ally of the now ex-president of the extreme right Jair Bolsonaro.
“It is a demonstration that it is possible to exercise our functions in a democracy, even if we belong to different parties. The common good is far more important than any divergence we may have,” he said. declared.
In this atmosphere of cordiality, he asked the municipal authorities to find a safe place to “rebuild” the houses that were buried or badly damaged by landslides during the rains.
“From time to time nature surprises us, but often we also challenge it”, that is why we must think “of a safe place so that we can start rebuilding the houses of the city of Sao Sebastiao”, a- he declared.
Lula also urged working together to rehabilitate the highway that connects the cities of Santos and Rio de Janeiro, which has suffered extensive damage.
“We want to help recover this city,” he insisted.