Former President Lula calls for impeachment of Bolsonaro for handling pandemic and economy

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Dip. Alessandro Molon: "Bolsonaro does not respect democracy" 2:48

(CNN) - He is 74 years old, has just been released from prison and has been in quarantine due to the coronavirus, but former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remains a political force in the country that he led for two terms.

A hero on the left, the former president has seen how covid-19 leaves a trail of death throughout Brazil, decimating an economy that is already in trouble. And he directly blames President Jair Bolsonaro.

Speaking to CNN on a webcam from his home on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Lula, as he is known, said Bolsonaro deserves impeachment for what he considers "irresponsible" and "negligent" handling not only of the coronavirus crisis , but also of the economic collapse of the country.

"[Bolsonaro] has committed many crimes of irresponsibility and I think he already deserves to be punished for that," Lula said, describing the right-wing leader as the worst in Brazil's history.

Bolsonaro's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Lula was released from prison in November after serving 18 months of a reduced sentence of eight years and 10 months for corruption and money laundering, charges that he has denied and is appealing.

READ : Former President Lula da Silva meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican

During the 2018 presidential elections, he led the polls, until the electoral court blocked his candidacy due to his conviction, clearing the way for Bolsonaro.

'Crisis of irresponsibility'

Lula's fiery speech echoes his years as president from 2003 to 2010, when the populist politician was able to mobilize massive crowds.

He led the country through an economic boom, helping Brazil grow from 15th in 2003 to the sixth largest economy in the world in 2012, after he left office. It also implemented social policies that significantly reduced inequality and lifted more than 29 million people out of poverty, according to the World Bank.

In the past five years, the pace of improvement has "stagnated," according to the World Bank, and Brazil now ranks ninth in terms of the size of the economy.

Lula lamented the economic downturn and said the coronavirus has made matters worse. "Brazil is experiencing a deep health crisis, a deep economic crisis and is experiencing a crisis of irresponsibility on the part of the President of the Republic," he said.

According to Johns Hopkins University, Brazil has reported more than 500,000 cases of coronavirus, second only to the US. USA, and the death toll is close to 30,000, placing it in fourth place in the world. For the former president, a big part of the problem was Brazil's late response to the pandemic.

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"Neither the president nor the Ministry of Health initially saw coronavirus as serious," he said. "Brazil could have been confined earlier, Brazil could have prepared masks earlier, Brazil could have passed laws in advance."

Despite the increasing number of victims, Bolsonaro minimized the risk of the virus, joined protests against the blockade and clashed with governors over the reopening of the economy.

"The governors became enemies, the mayors became enemies, all those who defend that Brazil must treat this pandemic responsibly are considered enemies of the president," said Lula, praising local leaders of all parties for their work. .

The crisis has eroded support for Bolsonaro, according to recent Datafolha opinion polls, with up to 46% of Brazilians supporting his impeachment.

The country's political opposition is not yet unified enough to kick-start impeachment, Lula says, but believes it is only a matter of time. "Today there are 35 requests for impeachment in the national Congress," he said. "[At some point] the spokesperson will have to choose a project to put to the vote."

READ : What Bolsonaro said as the cases of coronavirus in Brazil increased

Lula hinted that his political career was over, even if he won the appeal against his conviction, although he did not rule out the possibility of returning to the race for the presidency. When asked if he would launch a campaign in 2022, he said he would be 77 by then.

"I will be content to support a candidate," he said.

Lula da Silva