Dilma says Brazil has one of the world’s most solid democracies

Speaking at an event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the O Dia newspaper, president Dilma Rousseff declared that Brazil has managed to build one of the world’s most solid democracies.

“We have moved from arbitrary rule to a solid democracy. And we did this by democratizing all aspects of life in Brazil,” said the president.

Dilma defended freedom of the press, praised the recent advances of the Brazilian people and said more had to be done to improve education. And she reiterated her aim of eradicating extreme misery.

“Between 2003 and May of this year, around 40 million Brazilians have moved out of poverty up into the middle class. That is equivalent to the population of Argentina, or twice the size of the population of Chile,” she declared.

This process of social inclusion by eliminating poverty must continue, Dilma declared. “This is a moral commitment of my government. We will not make progress just because of our petroleum, our mineral resources, our powerful farm production or strong GDP growth. Our progress is fueled by the potential that resides in a base of 190 million Brazilians. We must build a better future for this country. It only depends on us. And we have begun to build that future,” declared the president.