Araçuaí (Minas Gerais), 1/13/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, speaking on Saturday during his visit to Brazil's poor regions, declared that the poverty of the Vale do Jequitinhonha region was caused by "the incompetence of those who govern this country."

According to Lula, his administration is committed to resolving the problems in the semi-arid region of the state of Minas Gerais where the most needy people in the country are found. Lula said that although he and the governor of Minas, Aecio Neves, were members of different political parties, they would join forces to deal with the problem. (AB)