Lula Pledges Government Help for Victims of Sao Paulo Blackouts
- Government to extend credit to small and micro businesses
- 850,000 people lost power for a day or longer, Lula says
A restaurant without power during a blackout in several neighborhoods in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 12.
Photographer: Miguel Schincariol/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the government would help victims of blackouts that have darkened Sao Paulo due to heavy rains, promising assistance to businesses and residents who lost power for more than 24 hours.
About 250,000 small businesses will be eligible for credit under a plan Lula and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad initially outlined Friday, the president said during a live broadcast Saturday.