Lula Stands With Mothers of Southern Brazil After Floods

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expressed solidarity with the mothers of the south of the country this Sunday, where the heavy rains that have hit the region since the end of April have left 144 dead and 125 disappeared.

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"Today is the day to remember with great affection those that even at a distance are always by our side. The ones that gave us life, and would give us as many lives as they had. Today I want to honor all Brazilian mothers," the president said in a message released by the presidency on the occasion of Mother’s Day.

In the message, Lula stressed that the best way to honor the victims of floods and landslides caused by the storms is to work together "with the spirit of union" that characterizes Brazilians.

"I want to leave a message of solidarity to the mothers of Rio Grande do Sul, victims of one of the greatest environmental tragedies in the history of Brazil," Lula said reffering to the las floods caused by intense rains in the Southern Brazilian state, where the killed figures rise to 144.

Lula remembered to all mothers that they are not alone. "We are together to recover and rebuild what has been destroyed: cities, houses, bridges, highways", he stressed.

"But we know that not everything can be recovered. Mothers have lost their children, children have lost their mothers. The best way to honor the memory of those who are gone is to work together, with what the Brazilian people have the best: the spirit of unity, solidarity and love for others," he said.

According to the latest Civil Defense report, the number of displaced persons is about 620,000, of whom more than 81,000 were refugees in makeshift shelters by the authorities, while the rest sought shelter in the homes of family or friends.