By Bernardo Caram and Lisandra Paraguassu
BRASILIA (Reuters) -The attack on state institutions in Brazil on Sunday will not delay the first actions planned by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s economic team, expected to be announced this week, Lula’s chief of staff said late on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Rui Costa, also a minister in Lula’s cabinet, said government meetings were scheduled for Tuesday and the Finance Ministry and Management Ministry will announce measures this week. Lula took office on Jan. 1.
“(The attacks) may have disturbed today, but the flow (of work) is still normal,” he said. “They (protesters) can break windows, destroy public property, scratch Brazil’s image, but they will not destroy Brazilian democracy.”
Hundreds of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed and vandalized the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace on Sunday. Bolsonaro’s supporters contest the result of October’s presidential election, won by Lula by a narrow margin.
The attacks on state institutions are considered the worst since the country’s return to democracy in the 1980s.
Earlier on Monday, three sources had said there was a risk of postponing the first economic measures due to the chaos in the federal capital.
Pressured to present concrete actions to address the country’s public accounts deficit, aggravated by Congress’ approval of a multi-billion reais spending package to meet campaign promises, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad had publicly said he would make his first announcements this week.
The minister participated in emergency meetings with Lula and others on Monday.
(Reporting by Bernardo Caram; Editing by Steven Grattan, Andrea Ricci and Kenneth Maxwell)
