Former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva blamed the U.S. and not current president Dilma Rousseff, whose popularity ratings have plummeted recently, for the economic crisis affecting the country. Lula recalled that when the Workers' Party took office in 2003 the country was ravaged by a severe economic crisis but that the left-wing party had reduced poverty, cut unemployment, and tripled spending on health and education. teleSUR