Lula: Drug dealers are also victims of users

3:24

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) became the target of criticism from the opposition after stating, during an official event in Indonesia this Friday, 24, that “drug traffickers are also victims of users”.

During the event, Lula stated that combating drug trafficking must also include combating domestic consumption.

"Every time we talk about fighting drugs, it would probably be easier to fight our addicts internally, the users. Users are responsible for the traffickers, who are also victims of the users," the president declared. After the backlash, Lula took to social media to say the statement was"misplaced."

The statement sparked immediate reactions among opposition lawmakers. Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI), former Chief of Staff in the Bolsonaro administration, mocked the statement.

"Drug dealers are victims of users, robbers are victims of those robbed, murderers are victims of the dead, rapists are victims of those raped, and so on. President Lula, the Brazilian people are victims of this vision in which victims are guilty and the guilty are victims," the senator wrote on social media.

The leader of the PL in the Chamber of Deputies, Sóstenes Cavalcante (PL-RJ), said that Lula's speech is"unbelievable." "The man who governs the country defends those who destroy families, who fill cemeteries and who spread violence in the streets. For him, the criminal is the victim and the good citizen is the culprit," the congressman declared.

Along the same lines, federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) mocked the president's statements and stated that, “soon, the PCC will become an NGO.”

"Lula just announced that drug traffickers are victims of users. At this rate, the PCC will soon become an NGO."

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Governor Ronaldo Caiado also criticized Lula."How can a country, how can a good citizen vote for a man like that? What are we getting at? A citizen who explicitly defends drug traffickers, criminals. Look at what we're experiencing," Caiado said on the 3 Irmãos podcast.